Eight in ten parents agree on one essential quality they expect from teachers
As stern celebrity headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh takes a protest to Whitehall over Labour's Schools Bill - research shows one of her complaints is dramatically out of touch with parents
Parents expect their children to be taught by qualified teachers, with 80% backing it as an essential requirement, research shows.
Labour 's Schools bill will require new teachers in England must have - or be working towards - Qualified Teacher Status, to give parents confidence teachers have the skills to drive high standards.
Currently it's not a legal requirement in some schools for teachers not to have formal teaching qualifications.
And a protest led by stern celebrity headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh is heading to Whitehall tomorrow, demanding schools be allowed to continue putting unqualified people in charge of classes.
But new figures show the vast majority of adults back the new rules, and would expect all new teachers to get formal teacher training before starting work.
Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, said: "Every child deserves to be taught by an expert teacher. It's what parents want, its common sense, and it's what we are delivering.
'The facts speak for themselves – parents expect nothing less than qualified professionals leading their children's education. And I won't apologise for being on the side of parents who rightly want the best for our young people.'
The Schools Bill also introduces a cap on the number of branded items schools can require parents to shell out for - which will impact Ms Birbalsingh's school, the ultra-traditional Michaela free school in Wembley, Greater London.
The average cost of a child's uniform at the school, which demands parents shell out for six mandatory items, is £188 for boys and £156 for girls.
Michaela school has made headlines for imposing military-style discipline, rote learning and silent corridors. While the school has achieved excellent academic results, critics say it has done so at the cost of pupils' wellbeing and creative education.
Ms Phillipson added: 'It shouldn't be controversial to expect the people who hold the keys to so many futures to be qualified. We continue to push for skilled experts teaching in all subjects - from maths to music. But teachers should be both experts in their field, and masters of their profession.'
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'There is no over-estimating the importance of teachers to a child's education. Put simply, teachers change lives and open doors. It is therefore vital that all teachers receive the highest quality training – and Qualified Teacher Status is central to that.
'Our members support the government's ambition for all teachers to hold QTS in the future. The professional status of teaching matters and it is no coincidence that in countries where teachers are highly valued, pupil outcomes tend to be high. While it won't be achieved overnight, we look forward to working with the government to help them achieve this ambitious goal.'
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