ABSTRACT
Socio-political context When practice teachers recommend to an educational programme that a student has passed or failed a placement, they are participating in a political act. Professions have been allowed certain powers and privileges in society on condition that they contribute to the regulation of those who attain and retain professional status (see Chapter 1). The individual practice teacher is thus near the end of a regulatory chain which proceeds from the general voting public through Government to professional regulatory bodies and educational programmes. Most practice teachers are only too aware of this broader context and approach their assessment function with a due sense of responsibility and apprehension. This introductory section seeks further to raise awareness about the broader contexts of practice assessment, although there is often little that the individual practice teacher can do to influence them.
