"I would rather have a physics graduate from Oxbridge without a PGCE teaching in a school than a physics graduate from one of the rubbish universities

It looks like Britain's new education minister is already in hot water 3 days into the new job by uttering those words.

Gibb is reported to have told officials in the Department for Education on Friday, the day after his appointment: "I would rather have a physics graduate from Oxbridge without a PGCE teaching in a school than a physics graduate from one of the rubbish universities with a PGCE."

The remark, which has already attracted a flurry of posts on Twitter, accusing the Tory MP of elitism and a failing to understand what makes a good teacher, will doubtless have rubbed a few people in higher education up the wrong way too.

Of course, we all know very well that someone who knows a lot about a subject matter need not also be a good communicator and educator. So that is a highly ignorant comment. But it is interesting that, of all the subject areas, he would use physics as the example. :)

Zz.