This Thank a Teacher day Andrew Stephenson MP has paid tribute to teachers across Pendle, 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.
118 more schools in Lancashire 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, 62 per cent of 6 year olds in Lancashire reached the expected level in reading, compared with 81 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.
Commenting, Mr Stephenson said: “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 I am consistently been struck by the passion and dedication of teachers working in schools across Pendle – ensuring that all children can fulfil their potential.”