Commenting on the decision of an independent panel to exclude three University of Cambridge teaching students from selection in The Boat Race, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, says:
 
“We are dismayed to hear that three trainee teachers have been made ineligible for selection for The Boat Race on the basis of their course.
 
“The PGCE course is a Masters-level qualification, rated at Level 7 on the National Qualifications Framework. Undertaking a PGCE requires a high level of stamina, resilience, and fortitude. Students juggle challenging work placements alongside rigorous academic study, often working extremely long hours. There are few postgraduate courses quite like the PGCE.
 
“It is no surprise to NASUWT that PGCE students also make formidable athletes. They are just as entitled to be eligible for selection in The Boat Race as their university peers, as they have been in previous years. There has been no justifiable clarification as to why these students – all from the University of Cambridge – have suddenly been made ineligible.
 
“Excluding PGCE students from The Boat Race selection is not only illogical, it is deeply insulting to our world-class teaching profession. We strongly urge the panel responsible to rethink their decision.”