Labour’s shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt, has announced a Labour government would reintroduce plans for a ‘teacher MOT’ but also go one step further and make it mandatory for them to also pay for and display a tax disc and hold valid insurance.
“The MOT will take place every 5 years and would look at a teacher’s ability to engage a class, their ability to educate children , and an emissions test” Mr Hunt explained.
“Health and Safety officers have also asked us to check the tread depth of their shoes and make sure levels of caffeine are being kept topped up.
“It may seem a bit long-winded and unnecessary but we assure you it will be done in an efficient manner at any MOT approved garage with some even offering a while-you-wait service.”
Trials of the scheme have come in for some criticism though, with some teachers complaining about their treatment during the test.
“My head took me into the local Halfords garage for my MOT but instead of being offered a hot drink before the examination, I had to wait outside in a specially marked ‘Teacher MOT’ parking bay” one teacher told us.
“To add insult to injury before the test the mechanic decided to kick my shins and sigh.”
Unions are not keen on the plans saying they are ‘pointless’ and that the punishment for non-compliance were ‘over the top.’
A spokesman for the National Union of Teachers said: “We understand the need to keep standards high, but do we really need to start taxing teachers and making sure they have at least third party fire and theft insurance before the are allowed to teach?
“If the plans go ahead we would be strongly opposed to teachers without the correct documentation being seized by police, crushed and recycled into a creche assistant.
“This policy will also start to cause a rift in schools. By letting teaching assistants interact and educate children without the need of an MOT, insurance or tax, you are turning them into the cyclists of the classroom.”
We did try to arrange an interview with a local teacher from Harold’s St Mary’s School, but she was caught waiting in a corridor for longer than the permitted time and clamped.
