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Your article ¡°Universities bypassed as teaching goes direct¡± (News, 24 January) is long-awaited recognition of the impact government policy on initial teacher training is having on university education departments. The move to school-centred and school-led initial teacher education was always going to reduce the established (and recognised by Ofsted as superior) provision in universities.

The other issue that seems to evade debate is the consequence of a move to learning to teach through observation of practice rather than praxis. Without an understanding of how to apply pedagogical theory to professional practice and underpin this through research into their chosen profession, how will future leaders succeed in ensuring that best practice in schools is achieved?

Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Head of the School of Social Science and Social Work, Associate professor in education, Plymouth University.