Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on today’s Ofsted report said:

“This report is clear, there are still too many children receiving a below par education. Whilst we have plenty of reasons to celebrate success in our school system, we can see stagnation across secondary school performance. The way to address this is equally clear: by raising the quality of teaching in every classroom, in every school.

“It is also the case that this report is a damning verdict on David Cameron’s failure to deliver more high quality teaching, in all our schools. His policy to allow unqualified teachers into the classroom - leading to a 16 per cent increase this year - means we have the lowest entry requirements in to teaching anywhere in the developed world. Combine this with the government’s failure to meet teacher recruitment targets for three consecutive years and we see a crisis brewing in our schools. 

“To give every child the best start in life, we need to deliver a world class teacher in every classroom, and that is Labour’s priority. Under a future Labour government, all classroom teachers will have to become qualified teachers and be required to update their subject knowledge and teaching practices as a condition of remaining in the classroom. Labour will end the watering down of teaching standards that is harming our children’s life chance.”

ENDS