University heads have welcomed a decision ¨C apparently caused by a split in the coalition government ¨C not to go ahead with a recommendation in a review of initial teacher training that appeared to downgrade the value of postgraduate qualifications.

Sir Andrew Carter¡¯s report ¨C published on 19 January ¨C stated that it wanted students to understand that qualified teacher status (QTS) was ¡°the essential component of ITT and that a PGCE [postgraduate certificate of education] is an optional academic qualification¡±.

However, in its written response to the report, the Department for Education said that it could not take this forward because ¡°the two coalition parties have different positions on this recommendation¡±.

Sir Andrew¡¯s comment incensed some areas of the ÖйúAƬ sector and it is thought that it was the Liberal Democrats that blocked the Conservatives from acting on it.

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A source close to Lib Dem schools minister David Laws said that the party ¡°believes passionately that teaching is a high status profession, and must remain so in the future¡±.

¡°We are not prepared to see the status of teaching undermined, which is why David Laws has stopped this recommendation from happening. Liberal Democrats will ensure that ÖйúAƬ continues to play a central role in teacher training.¡±

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John Cater, vice-chancellor of Edge Hill University, said that there was ¡°much to commend¡± in Sir Andrew¡¯s report, which emphasised the importance of universities in teacher training even though they have lost student places in recent years in favour of a system where schools recruit trainees.

But Dr Cater added that ¡°top-quality teacher education programmes should test trainees¡¯ intellectual development and their practice skills, and this is recognised in the award at postgraduate level¡±.

Michael Gunn, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University and chair of the Million+ group, agreed that the blocking of the recommendation was a ¡°result¡± for universities.

¡°Teacher education can¡¯t stand still, and in order for it to move forward it requires research and scholarship, which the universities are best placed [to provide],¡± he said.

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john.elmes@tesglobal.com