This is not a teacher: from complicity to criticality through bricolage, estrangement, and action to re-vision the political in initial teacher education

Initial teacher education in many parts of the world has shifted towards de-politicisation, prioritising standardisation and technical proficiency over critical engagement. This trend raises concerns about educators’ preparedness to navigate the complex socio-political landscape of contemporary education. Responding to the editorial team’s challenge, in this article I make a case for teacher educators to re-engage with the politics of education. I trace the erosion of criticality in initial teacher education and our complicity in this process, while revisiting ideas such as bricolage, the teacher as stranger, and political action to foster critically engaged educators. Strategies for reclaiming the political dimension in initial teacher education are explored, including cultivating critical consciousness and enacting political agency. Throughout, various artworks are referred to, serving as conceptual lenses to reframe and illuminate key issues. By re-visioning initial teacher education as a space for dialogue, critical reflection, and collective action, we can advance an educational conception that transcends mere questions of efficacy and efficiency. If we are to equip educators who can navigate and shape the future of education, address systemic inequities, and drive social change, it is imperative that we re-politicise initial teacher education at all levels – from policy frameworks to classroom practice.