Letter from the Chairman

Dear Teacher

Many of you have now completed your APL requirements in order to gain the Certificate in Dance Education. As this qualification is accredited by the government at Level 4 of the National Qualifications Framework, this puts you in a much stronger position for the future. We realise this has been a difficult transition period for many of our members and you should be congratulated on your efforts.

The ISTD is committed to raising the status of our dance teachers wherever possible and continues to work with the government and with other dance awarding bodies through the Council for Dance Education and Training to further increase awareness and recognition.

We do realise, however, that in the introduction of the Certificate in Dance Education, there has been a delay on our part, for reasons beyond our control, in finalising course materials for two of the units – Promotion of Health and Safety in Dance and Lifespan Development and Learning in Dance – which has caused difficulties for some of our APL candidates.

In recognition of this fact, the ISTD Council has now agreed that some extra time can be added to the 31 August 2006 deadline and they have extended this for a few months until 30 April 2007. As teachers entering candidates for examinations need to apply in advance, it has also been agreed that those who register for the Certificate in Dance Education before 30 April 2007, regardless of whether they have completed the qualification by then, can continue to apply for examination sessions to be held in the Summer Term 2007.

We are grateful to all our members for your patience and support.

Yours faithfully

Mr Robert Grover
Chairman of Council