This seminar examines recruitment, initial training and continuing professional development of schoolteachers in the context of changing conditions of service for teachers and the wider school workforce. It includes the role of government and its agencies in policy making and implementation, as well as the role of teachers’ professional bodies and associations.

The seminar explores innovative approaches used to address problems of teachers supply and recruitment. Whilst pointing to successes, it also highlights issues that remain, including retention and the under representation of minority ethnic groups and men in the profession.

In addition to its focus on initial training, the event examines national and local systems to support newly qualified teachers as well as the contribution of award bearing courses and research to teachers’ continuing professional development.

The seminar includes visits to a University Faculty of Education and its partner schools and explores the increased role schools play in training new recruits to the profession. Examples will be provided of electronic resources to support training and development. The programme is interactive with opportunities for participants to offer examples from their own contexts and to consider possible application in their own areas of responsibility.

This is the first in a planned series of events on teacher education. The second event, likely to take place in 2006–07, will look at the setting and monitoring of standards in teacher education.

Who should attend this event
Policy-makers in national and regional governments, senior managers in institutions responsible for teacher education, NGOs, teachers’ trade unions.