TEACHER-EDUCATION - THE PRIME SUSPECT

Critics alleging a decline in educational standards usually conclude t hat teacher education, particularly in 'the sixties', is the prime sus pect. This paper, whilst focusing on the characteristics of teacher ed ucation from 1964 to 1976, places these within the entire post-war per iod. Whilst it is impossible for ourselves, or the critics, to demonst rate a direct relationship between teacher education practices in the 1964-1975 period and a decline in standards of pupil achievement, it i s conceded that these practices may well have failed to prepare studen ts adequately for classroom practice. However, rather than attribute t his to-in the term widely used by critics-'trendy' teacher educators, we argue that the practices of the 1965-76 period need to be seen in t he much wider context of the ambiguities endemic in teacher education which were exacerbated during this period, particularly by the expansi on of higher education and the quest for enhanced teacher status. We c onsider that the reform of teacher education which had begun before th e emergence of the reformist movement, has enhanced its quality. Yet t he ambiguities remain. We question a solution which would locate teach er preparation wholly in the schools and argue for a continued, if re- considered, university connection. The paper does not pretend to offer a detailed scholarly analysis but the informed reflections of two tea cher educators of different generations.