2007-10-02 05:08:55 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
In the UK, no you don't have to have a degree in History to be accepted onto the PGCE course - you might be accepted on with a related degree - say something like Politics.
HOWEVER there is fierce competition for History posts - in short they are training more History teachers than there are jobs to fill. I think you may have difficulty even being interviewed for a job if the school see that you don't have degree in History. To be fair they are going to ask why you want to teach the subject if you didn't commit 3 years to studying it yourself. If you want to teach A level standard then you really do need the degree. Then again this is just in my experience - others may know differently!
2007-10-02 06:07:05 · answer #1 · answered by madasauk 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on your state laws, so check your state's department of education web site. With that being said, most teachers at the secondary-school level do have majors in the subject area that they teach. At the very least they have an official minor in that area in their transcript. Most states, whether you have a major or minor in your teaching area, require that you pass a certification exam. What complicates the situation is that with No Child Left Behind, preference in hiring is given to teachers who hold a major in their content area. Minors are discouraged, unless the teacher has a Master's degree. With most schools struggling to make Adequate Yearly Progress from scores alone, the last thing they want to do is to not make AYP because they don't have enough qualified teachers under the law. I hope this doesn't discourage you, but the federal government is getting more and more picky with regards to teacher preparation and certification. Good luck.
2007-10-02 13:46:37 · answer #2 · answered by cjtorresg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No you do not. Many states offer alternate certifcations. In many states, a teacher can be placed in a position that they are not qualified to teach. The large reason that allows them to do this is because they have a teaching degree. You do not have to have a degree in the subject that you are teaching. However, nearly all states say you must either have a teaching degree or be in persuit of one.
2007-10-02 16:12:54 · answer #3 · answered by Mr. Keating 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No Child Left Behind requires "highly qualified" teachers. With some limited exceptions, all secondary teachers must have an academic major in the area they are teaching.
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2007-10-02 13:04:33 · answer #4 · answered by Bruce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes without a doubt. And then you need a PGCE in secondary education. Otherwise you will not have in depth knowledge of the topics you are teaching.
2007-10-02 12:36:45 · answer #5 · answered by Bone 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but you have to have a license to teach History. Check with your Department of Education to see what the requirements are.
2007-10-02 12:24:13 · answer #6 · answered by jayjay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋