Institute for Learning

[1] According to its statutory Memorandum of Association, the reason for which the IfL was established (the "Object") was: "to promote education and training for the public benefit by the enhancement and maintenance of the quality, standards and practice of learning and teaching.

"[3] IfL was first incorporated in 2002 as a not-for-profit Company Limited by Guarantee[2] when it was a voluntary professional membership body for teachers and trainers in the Post Compulsory Education and Training Sector in England.

[citation needed] On 17 July 2014, the institute's Advisory Council, acting on the advice of its Non-Executive Board (NEB), voted that IfL should close with its assets passed to the Education and Training Foundation.

Following extensive experience in further education teaching and the achievement of a higher degree (at Masters or Doctoral level) members become eligible for Fellow grade of membership.

On 3 March 2011, a policy decision was taken by Michael Gove MP, secretary of state for education, to accept Professor Wolf's recommendation, with immediate effect.

The wolf report also recommends that only 20% of the classes which students undertake at the 14-16 age group should be vocational qualifications, meaning that work for QTLS holders in schools would be limited to around one day a week.

But a review of governance in 2009 merely resulted in adding more committee members, up to an unwieldy total of 60: that is a recipe for lip-service to special interests, not focused decision-making.

[15] Friedman believes that in creating and refining governance structures "a balance must be struck between achieving strategic direction and democratic participation of members and stakeholders.

"[33] Bea Groves, President of IfL, responded by stating that "in the interests of democracy, stakeholders must not have undue influence, and their involvement must be at arm’s length".

"[citation needed] IfL has the support of six patrons, the first four patrons: Baroness Sharp of Guildford, formerly a Liberal Democrat spokesperson for further and higher education; Barry Sheerman, member of parliament for Huddersfield and former chair of the education select committee; Tim Boswell, former member of the innovation, universities, science and skills select committee; and Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, principal and chief executive of Highbury College Portsmouth were announced on 30 March 2011.

Their association will help raise awareness of the important work that IfL is doing with our membership to influence policymaking, support continuing professional development (CPD) and facilitate communities of practice, for the benefit of teachers and trainers, and their learners.

[38]In February 2009 the IfL launched its 5-year plan for 2009–2014, this was reported in the TES[39] where it was noted that the 2008 membership survey [40] indicated that 47% of members joined because they were required to do so by their employer.

[42] With the results of the UK general election in May 2010 returning no clear majority[43] the subsequent formation of a coalition government introduced a number of uncertainties with respect to public policy.

The scale of the increase and the transfer of payment from government to individual teachers and trainers caused some controversy to be reported in FE Focus, an insert to the Times Educational Supplement.

IfL stated that if FE tutors did not pay then, according to the Further Education Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development and Registration (England) Regulations 2007[48] and the extension of these regulations to other learning providers through the terms of SFA contracts, they would no longer be permitted to teach: Any individual resigning from membership or allowing membership to lapse by failing to pay a due subscription will lose the entitlement to hold QTLS or ATLS status and any other designation related to their membership grade and will not be able to be employed in a teaching or training role in a college covered by the regulations or learning provider in receipt of a Skills Funding Agency contract.

An IfL spokeswoman said individual membership lapsing following non-payment by the due date is "standard practice in other regulated professions, such as medicine or law".

[11] Mr Scott's opinion on the application of the Human Rights Act to membership of a professional regulatory body has never been tested in law.

[citation needed] In a letter to IfL chief Toni Fazaeli, Mr Scott warned that in his opinion "interfering in the trade dispute by placing pressure on union members" was "potentially unlawful".

[68] In early September 2011 it was reported that "The government is to hold an independent review into workforce professionalisation, including the effectiveness of the Institute for Learning (IfL).

"[69] On 7 September 2011, UCU suspended its threatened legal action against the IfL[70] and welcomed the decision of the Minister for Further Education, John Hayes, to commission an independent review into professional development for college lecturers that would involve looking at the role and effectiveness of the Institute for Learning.

[71] Sally Hunt, general secretary of UCU stated: "Boycotting the IfL has not been a decision our members have taken lightly, but to be effective as a professional body it must enjoy the confidence of the majority of practitioners.

[70] In March 2012, after more than a year of dispute surrounding compulsory membership of IfL, the review board led by Lord Lingfield published an interim report,[4] stating: "We conclude that leaving matters as they are is not a practicable option … With the benefit of nearly five years of State funding and regulatory backing, the IfL has not won the confidence of those organisations which should be its partners.

The report called for the IfL be restored "to its original status as a private membership body, dependent on voluntary subscriptions in return for services.

"[citation needed] In September 2012, following the review of professionalism in further education teaching undertaken by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills,[13] the statutory requirement to register as a member if IfL was repealed.

Employers in the sector – both colleges and private and voluntary institutions – have been found wanting in providing consistent and high quality support and resources for professional development.

Effectively, each was an exercise in market research and, based in sample sizes in the low thousands, the outcomes were consistent – two-thirds of staff surveyed were in support, 30% wanted to ‘wait and see’ and less than 10% were opposed.

[79] In 2001 a business plan was established by the FENTO Council[citation needed] and a name was chosen, the Institute for Learning (FE) – to be comparable with the ILT (HE) as one of its important interfaces.

[citation needed] Early 2002 the Institute for Learning was incorporated, the Memorandum and Articles of Association were signed by founder members Pauline Lovell and Derek Betts, a Transitional Council was formed and the process of attracting a "volunteer" paying membership began.

[citation needed] In November 2004 the Institute for Learning's prospects of becoming a fully established professional body were given a significant boost with the publication of the key DfES policy document, ‘Equipping our Teachers for the Future’.

[80] For the Institute for Learning, with a growing membership in the low thousands, section 4.7 of the document came to represent a key turning-point: The active involvement of the leading professionals in the sector is crucial to the effective management of the reforms.