Celebrating Honorary Teaching Degrees at the University of London
The University of London is planning to offer honorary Bachelors of Education to those who hold teaching certificates received from some of the former London area teaching colleges, where the University of London was the awarding body.
Between the 1930s and the 1980s, teachers were typically trained on two-year or three-year certificate courses at teacher training colleges.
In the 1980s, UK law changed and a Certificate of Education was no longer deemed a requirement for teachers. It was replaced with the requirement for all trainees to complete a graduate or postgraduate course.
There has been a movement across the higher education sector for the thousands of individuals who received teaching certificates to be awarded honorary Bachelor of Education degrees at special ceremonies.
Background
Until the 1980s, teachers were typically trained on two-year or three-year certificate courses at teacher training colleges, which were nationally organised into area training groups under the administrative control of the Area Training Centres (ATCs).
The actual certificates were mostly awarded by universities but via the ATCs. From the late 1960s and through the early 1970s these certificates were gradually wound down and teaching became a graduate profession. At the same time, many teacher training colleges underwent a national rationalisation process and typically were closed or merged into various larger higher education institutions.
Of the 26 former teaching colleges in London, all but seven* merged into other institutions. The institutions into which the colleges merged usually received the student records for those colleges. In recent years, many of those institutions have given honorary Bachelors of Education to those who received teaching certificates.
The seven colleges which did not merge into other institutions simply closed. The University of London, as the awarding body, believes that we are the ones to take forward giving honorary degrees to those who received teaching certificates.
*The seven colleges are:
- Coloma College of Education
- Maria Assumpta Teacher Training College
- Sittingbourne College of Education
- Nonington College of Physical Education
- Stockwell College of Education
- Thomas Huxley College
- Philippa Fawcett and Furzedown College of Education (including Philippa Fawcett Teacher Training College and Furzedown Teacher Training College)
What happens now?
Applications for honorary teaching degrees are now closed.
If you applied for an honorary teaching degree or registered interest, we'll be in contact with more information. We'll also be in touch with successful applicants to share details about the degree ceremonies later in 2023.
You can also contact us at honoraryteachingdegrees@london.ac.uk to find out more or ask questions. Before you contact us, please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.
There is also a dedicated ceremonies FAQ page for questions that are specifically about the upcoming Honorary Teaching Degrees ceremonies.
FAQs
Am I eligible?
Those who received a teaching certificate from the following colleges (or one of their predecessors) are eligible. If you attended a different college, please contact us at honoraryteachingdegrees@london.ac.uk and we may be able to direct you to the appropriate institution.
Eligible colleges:
- Coloma College of Education
- Maria Assumpta Teacher Training College
- Sittingbourne College of Education
- Nonington College of Physical Education
- Stockwell College of Education
- Thomas Huxley College
- Philippa Fawcett and Furzedown College of Education (including Philippa Fawcett Teacher Training College and Furzedown Teacher Training College)
When and where will the ceremonies take place?
The University of London Honorary Teaching Degree Ceremonies will take place on Tuesday 27 June 2023 at Logan Hall, Institute of Education, University College London, Level 1, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL.
There will be two ceremonies and attendance will be divided by Teaching Colleges.
Do I need to attend the ceremony in person?
Yes. The University of London's statutes mean that we cannot normally award honorary degrees in absentia, so you will need to be present at the ceremony in London to receive the degree. This includes those who may live outside the UK.
There may be very limited exceptions to this; for example, we hope to be able to travel to UK-based awardees who are centenarians. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Can I tell my classmates and friends about this?
Yes, absolutely. If one of your classmates from the seven institutions would also like to apply for an honorary degree, they can do so at the link above.
If you have friends from other teaching colleges, they can contact us to see if we can direct them to the correct institution.
Which ceremony will I be invited to?
There will be two different ceremonies, both held on Tuesday 27 June 2023 at Logan Hall in the Institute of Education in central London. The ceremonies will be divided by college.
This should help to inform which ceremony you choose to attend.
Ceremony 1: Late Morning
- Coloma College of Education
- Philippa Fawcett Teacher Training College
- Furzedown College of Education
Ceremony 2: Late Afternoon
- Nonington College of Physical Education
- Stockwell College of Education
- Maria Assumpta Teacher Training College
- Sittingbourne College of Education
Please be aware that although we are grouping the colleges together to encourage you to reconnect with your peers, you will still have the option to attend whichever of the two ceremonies suits you best. Those who will not be able to attend the ceremony in June will be invited to our next ceremony in 2024 (date tbc).
Why have I not received my invite yet, but others have?
We are currently inviting the following recipients to our June 2023 ceremonies:
- Those who completed our online application form by the 31 January 2023 and received confirmation of their eligibility
- Those who contacted us at a later date and received confirmation that they will be invited to the upcoming ceremony
If you think you should have received an email invitation but haven’t, please check junk and spam folders, and then contact us at honoraryteachingdegrees@london.ac.uk
What should I do if I cannot make the ceremony on 27 June?
Under University of London Ordinances and Statutes, we are unable to award honorary degrees in absentia. Unless you have received confirmation that you fall under one of our exemptions (e.g., mobility issues), you will need to attend a ceremony to receive your honorary degree. For those unable to make the ceremony in June, there will be another ceremony held in 2024. Please let us know if you wish to be included in next year’s ceremony.
What is the dress code for the ceremony?
You must wear academic robes in order to take part in the graduation ceremonies. Robes must be ordered from our provider, Marston's, as part of the registration process.
Details for how to hire ceremony clothing as well as associated costs will be available when you register for the event. If you have received confirmation of your eligibility, you will receive your ceremony registration link via email.