Many of you will have seen the 'Guardian' article of the 30th October ('The rating game') on the way some colleges may be pressurising teachers through 'draconian' management of lesson observations . Such stories indicate the pressures and some of the dangers of a more simplified and less subtle approach to measuring quality in education. Perhaps the long promised reduction in bureaucracy brings with it a reduction in tolerance.
The WEA introduced its current Observation of Teaching and Learning scheme in 2004. For an organisation with provision as dispersed as ours, it is an enormous task to undertake. However, three years later, I'm convinced that it is the WEA that is learning from being systematic about this process.
Is that because of actions taken where classes are less good? It must be, in part. However, I think the scheme can confirm to tutors how important their role is and that we take it seriously and learn from observation.
The results, too, are very encouraging - not least because we know better than we did about what is outstanding as well as what isn't. One of the most sobering aspects of the 2004 unsuccessful inspection was that the inspectors saw some classes that were outstanding and we didn't know they were!
Last year, across the whole of England, in cities, suburbs, towns and villages 1232 tutors were observed out of 2806 contracted to teach with the WEA. Of those, using the Inspectorate's own language, 11% were outstanding, 59% were good, 28% satisfactory and only 1% inadequate. These grades are moderated and, of course, would be tested in inspection. Nevertheless, they are something of which we should be proud - partly because the percentages tell us so - and partly because we are able to rely on tutors to teach well, help students learn and - in effect - represent the whole of the WEA to their class, wherever it is. When compared to an FE college on one or two sites or an Local Authority covering a borough or a county, that is a real achievement.
Of course, that very issue is one that makes life difficult for the WEA. How, with this dispersed provision that goes so far to maintain educational opportunities where others have left, can we build a sense of association amongst those tutors? How can we help them to communicate with each other, share ideas, discuss their subject and their students' responses to it?
No prizes in guessing that I hope a tutor network, using the ubiquitous tools of modern communication, can help.
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