Abstract

The status of teachers in Wales and England has been a matter of perennial interest. It has personal, social and economic implications for all who teach. Obviously there are also major political issues involved as the state, as paymaster, has intervened to an ever-increasing degree in day-to-day activities in schools. The extent of political power over teachers is epitomized in the announced abolition at a stroke of the General Teaching Council in England. The time seems ripe for a more analytical and extended investigation of some of the issues at stake in discussing the status of teachers in wider society. This article begins by placing the debate in its historical context. This is followed by a discussion in the light of some recent writings of whether teaching is a profession. Finally, there is an extended analysis of whether the issue of teacher professionalism has become arid and irrelevant, obscuring the crucial contemporary issue of teacher independence. The essential features of this independence are highlighted and an irrefutable case made for the maintenance of that independence if society is to entrust teachers with educating future generations.

How to Cite:

Jones, G. E., (2013) “A Teaching Profession?”, Wales Journal of Education 16(1), 99-117.