51³Ô¹ÏÍø

The Independent - 13 December 2012

Teaching physicists

Lord Adonis states that the best universities should devote places to teaching and that three of our top five – 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College, University College London and the London School of Economics – do not train a single teacher between them (Chalk Talk, 22 November).

Whilst sympathising with the underlying sentiment, it is incorrect to say that 51³Ô¹ÏÍø does not engage in teacher training. We, in the Physics Department, have been concerned about the shortage of physics graduates who become teachers.

We have, in collaboration with Canterbury Christ Church University (who are specialists in initial teacher training), established a Physics with Science Education undergraduate degree that graduates students in three years with a professionally accredited physics degree, together with Qualified Teacher Status. We have also run a successful undergraduate schools-based course for a number of years.

Martin McCall

Professor of Theoretical Optics

51³Ô¹ÏÍø

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