Ahead of this Thank a Teacher day, Friday 22nd June, I am paying tribute to teachers across Fareham, whose hard work means that more children are gaining the skills and knowledge they need to get on in life.
The day is an annual opportunity to celebrate the huge difference teachers make to their students’ lives.
115 more schools in Hampshire are now rated good or outstanding, compared with 2010, whilst 1.9 million more children are attending good or outstanding schools nationally. With literacy levels rising, more children are mastering the fundamental skills they need. In 2012, 58 per cent of 6 year olds in Hampshire reached the expected level in reading, compared with 82 per cent last year.
There are 15,500 more teachers than in 2010 and the quality of new entrants into the teaching profession is at an all-time high, with almost a fifth of new teachers starting this year holding a first-class degree. The Education Secretary has made it his priority to ensure that teaching remains an attractive, fulfilling profession, pledging to strip away unnecessary workloads so they can get on with the job.
An inspirational teacher has a profound effect – not only on students’ academic achievements, but on their self-confidence and ambition, too.There can be no great schools without great teachers and when I have visited local schools I am consistently struck by the passion and dedication of teachers working in schools across Fareham – ensuring that all children can fulfil their potential.