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Million+ calls for teacher training reforms to include a greater role for universities.

University education departments should award teachers’ academic and professional qualifications and provide initial teacher education and continuous professional development, according to the Million+ lobby group of 19 modern universities.

In its response to a recent Department for Education white paper, the mission group says that universities’ role has been “de-valued” since 2011, in contrast with countries considered to perform best at teacher training. The proposed reforms are “unlikely to deliver regional and national teacher supply”, it adds. Million+ argues that the reforms lack a robust evidence or research base, citing a recent warning from the National Audit Office that there has been no independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the department’s planned shift from university-led to school-led teacher training.