Balls in crackdown on weak teachers

All new teachers will be expected to gain Masters-level qualifications under measures in the Government's new 10-year Children's Plan.

But ministers will consider new action to tackle the "rare cases" where incompetent teachers need to be removed from schools.

Mr Balls said: "Our aim is to make this country the best place in the world for our children and young people to grow up."

He went on: "All new teachers will now study in the early years of their career for a Masters qualification. We want to see the teaching profession become a Masters-level profession."

Over time, existing teachers will also be encouraged to improve their skills and gain Masters degrees, he said.

But the Children's Plan report set out the Government's willingness to consider striking off teachers who are not up to the job.

The document said: "To be sure that parents and pupils can continue to have confidence in the skills of the workforce, we will look with social partners at whether more can be done to address the performance of teachers who have the greatest difficulty in carrying out their role effectively. This should include helping them to leave the profession if that is appropriate."

The report said ministers would work with the General Teaching Council, which registers qualified teachers, "to examine whether action is needed to ensure that in the rare cases where competence falls to unacceptably low levels their qualified teacher status is withdrawn".

However, the head of one teachers' union accused Mr Balls of undermining the profession's image. Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said: "You don't instil confidence in parents in the profession by implying that there are large numbers of ineffective teachers."