AROUND 800 newly qualified Merseyside and Cheshire teachers (NQTs) will be able to take a free on-the-job Masters degree course.
The Daily Post can reveal that, from the 2009-10 academic year, new recruits to the teaching professions in the region will pilot the Government-funded scheme.
It means an estimated 700-800 newly qualified teachers will be able to do the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) degree, which usually costs around £6,000, while they get to grips with their chosen profession.
The thinking behind the scheme, which is being piloted in the North West, is to extend their teaching skills and abilities, in turn benefiting the students they teach.
Teachers will use their day job as the basis to explore how to better engage pupils during lessons and what they need to do to become a better teacher.
During the degree, which can take up to four years to complete, teachers will also be able to channel their studies into areas of personal interest, ranging from creativity to science.
The MTL was developed by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families after consultation with teachers.
Teachers signing up to the programme will be given tutoring by an experienced teacher at the school they join, who will coach and mentor them through the degree.
Last night, those entering the profession said the free degree would encourage people to take up jobs in schools, and give extra “kudos” to the profession. Liverpool John Moores University teaching graduate Andy Ash, 23, will do the Masters when he takes up his first teaching job at a Wirral primary school in September.
Mr Ash, who lives in Liverpool city centre, told the Daily Post: “I originally wanted to do the Masters for my own professional development, and the fact it is now being offered free and while I am teaching is perfect.
“I think the Masters degree will also raise the seriousness and kudos of the profession.”
The Masters degree comes on the back of a £10,000 “golden handcuff” allowance for teachers taking jobs in challenging schools.
