The Certificate in Education (Cert Ed) is a professional qualification for teachers in the United Kingdom. There have been two incarnations of the Cert Ed over the years.
The current Cert Ed is a non-compulsory qualification offering training in teaching at further or higher education level.
Those wanting to teach at primary or secondary education must undertake either a Bachelor of Education degree or a non-education degree followed by a postgraduate qualification in teaching, such as the PGCE.
In 2007, many colleges and Universities stopped teaching the Cert Ed with the advent of the Teaching Awards, the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) replacing the full Cert Ed.
The old Cert Ed was a qualification that was required for non-degree holders to become teachers (degree holders could become teachers without any further study). The Cert Ed course took two (or later three) years to complete and was studied at a teacher training college, College of Education, (or later at a university) with placements in local schools.
Originally, those with Cert Eds would qualify as 'assistant teachers' with only degree-holders being regarded as full teachers. This distinction was removed in the 1960s.
The Cert Ed was discontinued in the early 1980s (when a bachelor's degree and a teacher training qualification became a requirement for new teachers) and was replaced by the Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree.