Militant Teacher Unions

[Woodface]

All primary teachers are able to teach maths and science in state schools. In London it isn’t easy to recruit for a class teacher, but you can do it, and you can be selective I think. Retention is quite another matter, as is management roles.

Not the point I was making. You still get subject specialists at Primary school, I.e maths & science graduates.

My wife’s a primary head teacher so I am aware of the issues.

You actually need to recruit good teachers rather than just people who know a subject; this is an unintended consequence of golden hellos for certain subjects.

 

[Mike Reed]

You still get subject specialists at primary school, I.e maths & science graduates.

Well, yes, but unless the primary school is very large, which is unusual, they''ll simply be a class teacher. Various subjects can be farmed out to those on the staff who are more specialised, but generally it's one teacher teaches all subjects. I was primary (l/c 'p') trained but secondary practised. This caused problems when small school closures were in force early eighties but stood me in good stead as a supply teacher.

 

[Woodface]

Well, yes, but unless the primary school is very large, which is unusual, they''ll simply be a class teacher. Various subjects can be farmed out to those on the staff who are more specialised, but generally it's one teacher teaches all subjects. I was primary (l/c 'p') trained but secondary practised. This caused problems when small school closures were in force early eighties but stood me in good stead as a supply teacher.

I know what primary teachers do, my point is that you will still get maths & science graduates in school. The job itself is more generalist in nature but they will usually have a first degree.