The Stage

Olivier winner Mear attacks DfES rules

Published Wednesday 13 September 2006 at 14:00 by Nuala Calvi

Olivier Award-winning choreographer Stephen Mear has warned that scores of industry professionals will be unable to continue vital work teaching performing arts students, thanks to government plans to insist upon academic qualifications for all tutors.

Mear, who worked with Matthew Bourne on the musical Mary Poppins, has long been in demand as a lecturer in colleges, despite being dyslexic.

But he says that new rules being phased in, for all staff at state-funded, post-16 education courses to qualify for a so-called “passport to teaching”, will effectively exclude him and many others.

Speaking to The Stage during a break from rehearsals for the Broadway version of Mary Poppins, Mear said: “I work with many current performers, directors and leading choreographers and they feel the same. Many I work with want to teach but are overwhelmed by the thought of having to study.

“I was inspired by many teachers who came from a pure performance background - they were great role models and I aspired to achieve what they had. I would not have been as driven or successful if I had been taught by teachers with a string of letters after their names.”

The Department for Education and Skills insists the new passport will equip tutors with introductory skills and knowledge to teach their subject. It includes some 30 hours of “guided learning”, including mentoring and observation and the keeping of a development log book.

Those whose role is limited to the “delivery and assessment of their specialist area” can exit after completing the passport award, while all other teachers, whether part or full-time, must go on to take a full Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills award. Mear warned the effect would be to put qualifications before genuine ability.

“While I understand that there has to be some kind of standardisation and benchmarking, surely the first and most important criteria for excellence within teaching of this nature should be the ability shown in the studio, not what an individual can produce on paper,” he demanded.

A government spokesman said the changes were not intended to rule out people with useful experience and that there would be no entry requirement in terms of literacy, language or numeracy skills. However, all teachers will need to demonstrate “specified standards” by the end of their course.

Alastair Pearce, principal of Rose Bruford College and vice-chair of the Conference of Drama Schools, said if practitioners were coming in to do a one-off project, such as an end of year show with students, he did not think they should be required to take teaching qualifications. He added that those who worked over a longer period with students, particularly those at the beginning of their courses, should have some training.