TEACHERS gave a cautious welcome yesterday to Labour’s pledge to chase unqualified educators out of state classrooms.

Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt is expected to tell the North of England Education Conference today that a Labour government would put an end to the Tories’ watering down of teaching standards.

“International evidence is clear — the quality of teaching, not an obsessive focus on the type of school, is what drives up standards,” the academies champion was due to say.

“David Cameron and Michael Gove have watered down standards, allowing unqualified teachers into schools on a permanent basis.

“Under Labour, all teachers will have to become qualified, teachers will be given greater opportunities to further their career progression and development and, as in other high status professions, teachers will be regularly revalidated.”

His policies will also include new training routes and the chance for subject and teaching skills specialisations to be enhanced.

Teachers would also have to be licensed every few years under a Labour government, having to pass set standards to carry on their careers — a rehash of an Ed Balls suggestion dropped after workers opposed it.

Teachers’ unions welcomed parts of Mr Hunt’s propsals yesterday.

But National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower urged Labour to focus more on the number of “excellent” teachers being driven out of the profession.

“The punitive nature of Ofsted inspections and other education ‘reforms’ have already resulted in many good teachers leaving teaching.

“For too long, teachers feel that they have things done to them rather than being part of the process.”

And the Assocation of Teacher and Lecturers called for less carrot and more stick.

General secretary Dr Mary Bousted said the union didn’t believe that teachers who perform poorly after help should be kept on, but Labour should be encouraging high standards.

The party’s policies “must be linked to professional entitlements for teachers, such as guaranteed access to effective training and support,” she said.

ryanfletcher@peoples-press.com