General Teaching Council for Scotland

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The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) (Scottish Gaelic: Comhairle Choitcheann Teagaisg na h-Alba) is a fee based registered charity [1] and the world's first independent registration and regulation body for teaching. [2] The current Chief Executive and Registrar is Dr Pauline Stephen. [3] The GTC Scotland maintains a register of qualified teachers and college lecturers; there were 80,695 teachers and college lecturers on the register on 31 March 2022. [4]

Contents

History

GTC Scotland was the first professional registration and regulation body for teachers in the United Kingdom, and one of the first teaching councils in the world. It was set up in 1965 under the Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1965 following concerns that entry requirements had lowered after the Second World War and unqualified teachers were working in Scottish schools. [5] Its powers, remits and duties have since been amended by other legislation, including the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 [6] and the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000. [7] It is a legal requirement for all teachers working in Scottish local council schools to be registered with GTC Scotland (The Requirements for Teachers (Scotland) Regulations 2005). [8]

In 2018, there was a national agreement to register all lecturers working in Scotland’s colleges through GTC Scotland. [9]

On 2 April 2012 GTC Scotland was granted independent status by the Scottish Government. The Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1965 was repealed and replaced by the Public Services Reform (GTC Scotland) Order 2011. [10] The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011 was made by Scottish Ministers in accordance with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and passed into law on 17 March 2011. [11]

Proposed reform

In June 2017 Scottish the Scottish Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney, announced plans to reform the General Teaching Council for Scotland, bringing it together with other professional development bodies in a new Education Workforce Council for Scotland, similar to the Education Workforce Council in Wales. [12] Although described as independent, half of the Welsh EWC members are directly appointed through the Welsh Government public appointments system. [13] The Scottish Government intended to establish the Education Workforce Council for Scotland (EWCS), which it proposed would replace and take on the responsibilities of GTC Scotland, the Community Learning and Development Standards Council and register others working in education. Details were published in the Scottish Government's Empowering Schools consultation on a planned Education Bill in November 2017. [14] [15] However, this proposed Bill was put aside on 26 June 2018 with the Scottish Government instead publishing a joint agreement with Scottish Local Authorities on school empowerment and collaboration. [16] [17]

The Educational Institute of Scotland, the dominant teaching union, said in a statement in June 2017 that: "We remain to be convinced about the need for potential changes to the General Teaching Council, a world renowned teacher-led body which ensures the highest professional standards are maintained." [18] The EIS view is that the plans "risk putting years of progress on teacher professionalism into reverse". [19] [20] The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) also voiced opposition saying it would be "a retrograde step". [21] The GTC Scotland published its response to Empowering Schools on 1 February 2018 stating its strong opposition to the establishment of the EWCS. [22] [23] The GTC Scotland response stated: "...there is no evidence-based rationale for replacing GTCS, with its strong brand and highly-regarded national and international reputation, with a new body". [22]

John Swinney stated in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June 2018 that he accepted the “strength of feeling” in the sector to keep GTC Scotland. [24] GTC Scotland accepted Swinney had responded to concerns raised by teachers and the "comprehensive opposition to this proposal in the consultation returns". GTC Scotland said it would continue to work closely with Scottish Government "to consider how a wider range of educational professionals most directly involved in teaching might be registered with GTCS". [25] The EIS said it had "vehemently opposed" the proposal to abolish GTC Scotland and welcomed "the fact that the Scottish Government has listened to the voice of the teaching profession on this very important issue". [26]

Functions

The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011 describes GTC Scotland's general functions. [27] The main ones are to keep a register of teachers qualified to teach in Scottish schools and to establish and review the standards of education and training appropriate to teachers.

GTC Scotland's general functions also include:

Standards of education and training

A suite of Professional Standards provides a framework for teachers at all stages in their careers. [29] A revised set of standards came into use in August 2021. [30] Professional Update was launched 18 August 2014. [10] The Standard for Provisional Registration (SPR) and The Standard for Full Registration (SFR) are part of the overall set of GTC Scotland's Professional Standards which also includes The Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning and The Standard for Middle Leadership and Standard for Headship. [31]

GTC Scotland has been given responsibility for Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges by the Scottish Government. These Professional Standards have been developed through partnership working between the College Development Network and GTC Scotland. [32] A Standard for Provisional Registration (Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges) was introduced in February 2023 [33]

The GTC Scotland rules around the subjects that Scottish teachers are allowed to teach have been criticised for being too strict because they constrain the ability of head teachers to determine the curriculum in schools and prevent experienced teachers who qualified outside Scotland from being able to take up teaching posts. [34] [35]

Governing Council and committee structure

Role of the council

The council has a significant role to play in shaping the teaching profession of Scotland and maintaining and improving professional standards. It does this by developing and monitoring the strategic direction and policy of GTC Scotland by determining entry standards to teaching, accrediting courses of teacher education and by setting clear expectations of the profession in its range of published Codes and Professional Standards. [36]

Council membership

GTC Scotland is governed by a Council made up of 19 elected teachers, 11 nominated educational stakeholder representatives and 7 appointed lay members, who make decisions on matters of strategy and policy. Council membership is determined following a rolling programme: election, nomination and appointments processes take place every two years and half of the members step down at the end of each two-year period. [37]

Committee Structure

Council members may serve on the following committees and sub-committees: [38]

Adjudication panels, appointments and appeals

The council has a series of panels that investigate and adjudicate cases about fitness to teach and registration of individual teachers. [38] The panels consist solely of registrants and lay persons who are independent from the council and who are appointed by the Appointments Committee. The Appointments Committee and the Appeals Board also consist solely of appointed registrants and lay persons who are independent from the council. [38]

Supporting education in Scotland

GTC Scotland performs a number of functions to support and inform the teaching profession and the wider public about Scottish education. It produces Teaching Scotland magazine. [39] This digital publication carries a range of news articles and features about education activities across Scotland and is issued to teachers on the GTC Scotland Register.

In addition to this, GTC Scotland holds a number of events throughout the year to promote and recognise the teaching profession. This includes, among many other activities, its Annual Lecture. The Lecture has previously been given by Annie Lennox, Lord David Puttnam, Christopher Brookmyre, Baroness Warnock and Sir Harry Burns amongst others. [40]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Extract from the Scottish Charity Register". Office of the Scottish Charity Register. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "EIS welcomes election of world's first independent teaching council". Archived from the original on 23 December 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  3. ↑ "Leadership Team | General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "GTC Scotland Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2022" (PDF). Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1965 (repealed)". Expert Participation. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ↑ "Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000". Expert Participation. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ↑ "The Requirements for Teachers (Scotland) Regulations 2005". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "National Joint Negotiating Committee Circular 03/18". National Joint Negotiating Committee. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Milestones and Minefields| General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "New powers for schools". Scottish Government. Scottish Government. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  13. ↑ "Wales: Education Workforce Council members". ewc.wales. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  14. ↑ "Education Governance: Next Steps: Empowering Our Teachers, Parents and Communities to Deliver Excellence and Equity for Our Children" (PDF). Scottish Government: Education Governance. Scottish Government. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  15. ↑ Scottish Government, St Andrew's House (7 November 2017). "Empowering Schools: A consultation on the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Bill" . Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  16. ↑ "Flagship Scottish education bill shelved". BBC News. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  17. ↑ Scottish Government, St Andrew's House (26 June 2018). "Education Bill Policy Ambition - Joint Agreement" . Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  18. ↑ "EIS Response to Scottish Government Education Governance Review". The Educational Institute of Scotland. The Educational Institute of Scotland. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  19. ↑ "GTCS: 'A global success under government attack'". Tes. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  20. ↑ "Union opposes new education body". BBC News. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  21. ↑ "SSTA opposed to the formation of an Education Workforce Council – Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association". Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  22. 1 2 "Response to Scottish Government Consultation Empowering Schools: A consultation on the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Bill" (PDF). General Teaching Council for Scotland. 1 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "Scrapping teacher watchdog risks 'irreparable harm' to profession". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  24. ↑ "Schools reform bill will not be brought in 'at this time', Swinney confirms" . Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  25. ↑ "Scottish Government Announcement | General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  26. ↑ Scotland, The Educational Institute of. "EIS Welcomes Education Bill Rethink & Calls for a Period of Stability for Schools". www.eis.org.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  27. ↑ "The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  28. ↑ "The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011 (Part 2, Article 6),". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  29. ↑ "Professional Standards for Teachers". General Teaching Council for Scotland. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  30. ↑ "Professional Standards for Teachers". GTC Scotland. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  31. ↑ "Professional Standards for Teachers". General Teaching Council for Scotland. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  32. ↑ "Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland's Colleges". General Teaching Council for Scotland. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  33. ↑ "Provisional professional standard for college lecturers approved; new transitional route to GTC Scotland registration opens". General Teaching Council for Scotland. 14 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  34. ↑ "Reformers argue that teaching outside your specialism can be a strength". Tes. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  35. ↑ "Experienced maths teacher in England 'told to retrain' for Scots job". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  36. ↑ "The Council | General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  37. ↑ "Council members | General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  38. 1 2 3 "Committees and Panels | General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  39. ↑ "teaching-scotland-magazine | General Teaching Council for Scotland". www.gtcs.org.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  40. ↑ "Events: National Lecture 2014". Teaching Scotland. GTC Scotland. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
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