IfL promises positive engagement in review of professionalism

Thursday 2 February 2012

Responding to the announcement by John Hayes MP, the further education and skills minister, that Lord Lingfield will chair the independent review of professionalism in the further education and skills sector, the Institute for Learning (IfL) has reiterated that it will engage positively with the review and continue working to promote the professionalism of teachers and trainers.

Toni Fazaeli, chief executive of IfL, said, “We welcome the announcement that Lord Lingfield will chair the review, and are pleased that it can now begin. We look forward to giving evidence to the expert panel led by David Sherlock, with panel members Dawn Ward and Dan Wright. The importance of a professional teaching and training workforce to the economy cannot be underestimated, and IfL is working hard to help raise the quality of teaching and training, as well as the status of teachers and trainers and of vocational education and training.

“This independent, non-partisan review offers an opportunity to assess the progress that has been made in our sector, and draw on the views and evidence of practitioners and stakeholders and the experiences of professional membership bodies in other sectors, so that we can agree on the best way of continuing to raise the professional standards and status of the FE and skills workforce.

“As the professional body, with a growing membership of over 85,000 teachers and trainers, IfL is determined to promote benefits that support professional excellence, increase the status of teachers and trainers, and give members an influential voice on policy. IfL values of professionalism, development and innovation, autonomy, integrity and equality underpin all our work for the profession and together we will continue to raise the standing of practitioners, and our FE and skills sector overall, as an engine for economic growth, fairness and strong communities.”

Notes

David Sherlock CBE is the former chief executive of the Adult Learning Inspectorate. Dawn Ward OBE is principal of Burton and South Derbyshire College, and Dan Wright is chief executive of First4Skills.