What if… we wanted to transform teaching as a career choice?

We've accepted that teaching may no longer be a lifelong vocation, and even made a virtue of that. We're in the midst of trying to reduce teacher workloads, and there's been talk of using technology to work around teacher shortages. But this is defeatist and piecemeal.

Is it time for a more radical rethink of what the teacher's role and remit should be in order to make the most of this vital profession? How can we combat the continuous challenge surrounding teacher retention? Let's explore how technology and best practice from other professions can be used to transform teaching.

Speakers

• Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and the Association of Managers in Education
• Jonathan Simons, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Varkey Foundation
• Lucy Crehan, International Education Consultant at the Education Development Trust; author, 'Cleverlands: The Secrets Behind the Success of the World's Education Superpowers'.
• Martin Mills, incoming Director of the Centre for Research on Teachers and Teaching at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE)
• Chair: Professor Becky Francis, Director of the IOE

The IOE Public Debates: What if… series

Through this series we'll be bringing together a range of commentators - academics, politicians, practitioners, policy wonks - and pushing them to bring some radical new thinking to some of the apparently intractable issues within education, not least the English education system.

Join the conversation on Twitter at #IOEDebates.

Links

• IOE Blog: Transforming teaching as a career choice: what would be on your wish list?
• Mary Bousted in TES: 'Teachers will only have real autonomy when the government allows them to say not to the latest stupid fad'
• The IOE Public Debates series

Image: Didier Adam (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)