Teacher training

Ian M. Dutton expresses understandable doubts about the employment of graduates as teachers after only a short course of training (“Qualified words”, Letters, 8 June) and the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is, of course, opposed to the idea, notwithstanding that Teach First seems to be proving of some value in England.

In the days of national service the army assigned some recruits with the requisite level of education to the Royal Army Education Corps.

After basic military training they received a few weeks’ pedagogic instruction at the corps depot before being sent into “the field” where I think, in general, they were reasonably effective.

One of the army’s concerns was the number of conscripts who did not reach the minimum standards in literacy and numeracy that the army required.

In my very limited experience most made the grade after a short period of instruction.

Of course, the instructor in the army had the mighty engine of military discipline behind him – and trotting along to the schoolie was a bit of a skive, so he had willing students.

The same held good for those seeking higher qualifications.

S. BECK Craigleith Drive, Edinburgh