Reporter 15/5/02: Education Studies Tripos: Notice

Education Studies Tripos: Notice

13 May 2002

The General Board, on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Education, have proposed the addition of a Temporary Regulation to the regulations for the Education Studies Tripos (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 275) to allow those students who obtain honours in Part I of the Education Tripos in the examination in 2002 to be of standing to take Part II of the Education Studies Tripos in 2003, notwithstanding that they will have kept one less than the number of terms prescribed in Regulation 3 of that Tripos. (Whilst Part I of the Education Tripos is a two-year course, matriculation takes place at the beginning of the second year following a qualifying examination at the end of the first year.) The General Board have accepted the Faculty Board's assurance that there are good grounds for allowing those students admitted to the Education Tripos in 2000, the final cohort of students for that Tripos, to transfer to the Education Studies Tripos.

Recent, unforeseen changes in government policy have had adverse effects on four-year undergraduate courses, such as the Education Tripos, which lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). These adverse effects were noted in the Faculty Board's Report on a proposed amendment to the regulations for the Education Studies Tripos (Reporter, 1999-2000, p. 1021). Students taking these courses are not eligible for the financial incentives now offered by the government to those taking the P.G.C.E. Furthermore, new requirements which increase the amount of time required for professional placements in schools, in order to achieve QTS status, would pose considerable organizational problems for the Faculty of Education and its partnership schools in making appropriate arrangements for just one cohort of students, and would create additional pressures on those students.

The General Board are satisfied that those students completing Part I of the Education Tripos in 2002 are academically capable of taking the one-year Part II in the Education Studies Tripos. (The Part I curriculum and examination in each Tripos are identical.) On completing that Part II, the students are expected then to take the P.G.C.E. to secure QTS status and to be of standing, under Regulation 3(b) of the regulations for the Bachelor of Arts by Honours (Statues and Ordinances, p. 409), to proceed to the B.A. Degree. The Head of the Department of Education has agreed to accept these students as candidates for the P.G.C.E. under Regulation 2(a) for the Certificate (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 538).

The Faculty of Education have consulted the students concerned, who are strongly in favour of being allowed to transfer between the Triposes, and the Faculty Board have assured the General Board that appropriate provision will be made should any students not wish to transfer.

The Council have accordingly agreed to submit a Grace to the Regent House (Grace 4, p. 785) for the approval of the Temporary Regulation.

Table of Contents