The new regime had had little time to settle when Ofsted produced what
has been recognised ever since as a seminal report, The Initial Training
of Further Education Teachers, in November 2003 (HMI 1762).
Inspectors visited eight higher education institutions (HEIs) and 23 FE
colleges to evaluate initial teacher training. They did not inspect
arrangements in other significant parts of the FE sector, for example
work-based learning (WBL) or adult community learning (ACL). The
report was highly critical, concluding that ‘the FENTO standards provide a
useful outline of the capabilities required of experienced FE teachers,
(but) they do not clearly define the standards required of new teachers’;
‘the current system of FE teacher training does not provide a satisfactory
foundation of professional development for FE teachers at the start of
their careers’; ‘the needs of this diverse group of trainees are not
adequately assessed at the start of the courses’; and ‘few opportunities
are provided for trainees to learn how to teach their specialist subjects’.
The lack of mentoring in the workplace was noted by Ofsted, and is of
special significance among qualifications which are usually studied inservice
following what may be an extended period of teaching
experience. The notion of studying to be a ‘qualified teacher’ in such
circumstances might in retrospect be thought odd.