Right turn for Gove; wrong turn for Initial Teacher Education?

In this paper the authors will present the results from a small-scale quantitative research project examining the assumption that there is a direct causal link between the classification of a student teachers first degree and their ability to teach. Alongside this, they will extend the study nationally using Teaching Agency data. The evidence presented in the paper indicates that there appears to be no correlation, relationship or link, between the classification of a student teachers first degree and their ability to teach or their NQT outcome. The authors believe that these results are relevant and pertinent to today‟s education landscape and indicate that current government policy on attracting potential teachers into the profession is resulting in the wasting of limited financial resources in Initial Teacher Education.