Social justice and the reconstruction of teaching

In this paper we argue that conceptions of what constitutes the ‘effective teacher’ and what counts as career progression are being reshaped by the Teacher Training Agency. One initiative which is central to this is the National Professional Qualification framework. We argue that the framework neglects teachers’ responsibilities in relation to social justice and that the teaching profession is being increasingly differentiated in ways which may disadvantage particular groups of children and teachers. Issues of governance, representation and accountability in teacher education cannot be ignored and connect with wider debates in the public sector both in the UK and elsewhere.