2 Functions of an Independent General Teaching Council for Scotland
2.1 Introduction
21. The change in status of the GTCS to a fully independent teaching regulator provides a natural opportunity to consider amending the Council's existing statutory functions. This section will discuss the powers and functions of the GTCS and will consider whether its role should be amended. 2 This section also considers the impact the change in status will have on the relationship between the GTCS and the Scottish Government.
22. In terms of the Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1965 the key functions of the
Council are:
- to maintain a register of those entitled to teach in public sector schools;
- to keep under review the standards of education, training and fitness to teach of persons entering the teaching profession in Scotland and to make recommendations
to Scottish Ministers on this matter. This includes maintaining and enhancing the Professional Standards - the Standard for Initial Teacher Education, the Standard
for Full Registration, and the Standard for Chartered Teacher, and administering the Standard for Headship; - to keep itself informed of the education and professional preparation of teachers in teacher education institutions, and to review the content and arrangement of and to accredit initial teacher education programmes;
- to determine whether, in any particular case under its registration and disciplinary powers, registration is to be refused or withdrawn on grounds of professional conduct or withdrawn on grounds of professional competence;
- to make recommendations to Scottish Ministers on the supply of teachers;
- to oversee the management of the probationary period for teachers;
- in the area of Continuing Professional Development ( CPD) -
- to accredit all modules and programmes leading to the award of Chartered Teacher and all programmes leading to the award of the Standard for Headship;
- to manage the support and assessment of claims for the accreditation of prior learning by experienced teachers who can demonstrate that they have achieved the Standard for Chartered Teacher;
- to convene a professional interview in respect of a teacher recommended for the professional award of the Standard for Headship as part of the national Flexible Routes to Headship pilot project;
- to make recommendations to Scottish Ministers on the career development, ie CPD and staff development and review of teachers, and such other recommendations as may be necessary from time to time.
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23. The Scottish Ministers do not believe that the functions of the GTCS should be significantly altered as a result of the move to independent status and accordingly the GTCS will continue to be responsible for the functions listed above. Despite the move to independence, the central responsibility of the GTCS will continue to be to ensure that through strong regulation of the profession, children receive the best possible quality of teaching. In undertaking this responsibility, the maintenance of the register and keeping the standards under review will remain the core functions of the organisation. Ministers do however appreciate that as a widely respected, independent, profession-led body, the GTCS may be in a position to develop its existing responsibilities.
24. To help easily address topical issues and changing priorities relating to education policy, the Scottish Government believes that the functions of an independent GTCS should be defined within a set of relatively broad parameters. This would allow the organisation to adapt its role in relation to existing functions in consultation with key education stakeholders, including the Scottish Government and employers, without having to rely upon Government to legislate to give a statutory base for the additional responsibility. The arrangement would also allow the Scottish Government to reflect upon the changes to the education landscape more generally, and then consider, with Council, whether their degree of involvement, within the set parameters, needed to be altered. The Scottish Government intends to use the powers in the Public Service Reform Bill to set out this arrangement in more detail.
2.2 Responsibility for the Teaching Standards
25. There are currently four standards relating to teachers; the Standards for Initial Teacher Education, Full Registration, Chartered Teacher and Headship that describe the qualities and competencies teachers should have at various stages of their career. The Standards are not set out in statute nor is there a clear basis signalling who should take overall responsibility for them. Currently the GTCS works with the Scottish Government and others in setting, maintaining and developing the standards. In effect the GTCS currently manage the Standards (apart from Headship) with the Scottish Government playing a role in agreeing and helping to set their content. An independent GTCS could take additional responsibility in relation to the standards.
What should this role be?
26. The Scottish Government does not believe that any one particular body in the Scottish education establishment should actually own the standards. The standards are currently developed by GTCS in a partnership arrangement involving the Scottish Government and other stakeholders. It is however possible that the GTCS could effectively take on additional responsibility and act as a guardian of the suite of standards. This would involve taking overall responsibility for the maintenance and development of the standards in conjunction with other players in Scottish education such as the Scottish Government, teachers' employers and universities.
An alternative approach: retention of the status quo
27. Despite the safeguards present in the approach outlined above (the requirement for the GTCS to work on conjunction with other actors), it could be argued that the best arrangement for Scottish education as a whole would be to retain the status quo, with the Scottish Government, in partnership with the GTCS, continuing to play a significant role in determining the content of the Standards. This would allow the Scottish Government, again in conjunction with its partners such as the GTCS, local authorities and teacher trade unions, to more readily adapt the standards to reflect changing national priorities.
Question
Q1: Would it be appropriate for the GTCS to be given a more explicit responsibility in relation to the standards?
2.3 Entry Requirements to, and Approval of Courses of, Initial Teacher Education
28. Another area where the responsibility of the GTCS could be increased is in respect of Entry Requirements to Courses of Initial Teacher Education ( ITE) in Scotland. Currently, the Scottish Ministers, in consultation with the GTCS and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, decide the entry requirements for admission to teacher education courses in Scotland. This, in conjunction with the potential role of guardian in relation to the Standards and ongoing control over admissions to the register from outwith Scotland, would give the GTCS full responsibility in relation to who could teach in local authority schools in Scotland.
29. It is also possible that the GTCS could take on an additional role in relation to approving all initial teacher education programmes without recourse to the Scottish Government. The current arrangement is that the GTCS accredits Initial Teacher Education courses and that the Scottish Government approves them. In practice, the Scottish Government has always approved courses accredited by the GTCS but under current arrangements the Scottish Government could, in theory, decline to approve any courses that they felt were not appropriate.
An alternative approach: retention of the status quo
30. In a similar manner to the discussion on standards in section 2.2, an alternative approach would be to retain the status quo.
Questions
Q2: Should the GTCS assume responsibility for setting entry requirements to Courses of Initial Teacher Education?
Q3: Should the GTCS assume responsibility for the approval of initial teacher education courses?
2.4 Continuing Professional Development
31. In 2000 the general functions of the Council were expanded to include a duty to consider and make recommendations to the Scottish Ministers on the 'career development' of teachers. Currently the GTCS accredit all modules and programmes leading to the award of the Standards and could potentially take on more responsibility in relation to CPD. Currently the Council:
- operates the Framework for Professional Recognition/Registration. This offers teachers the opportunity to take further responsibility for their own development, and is designed to create new exciting possibilities for registered teachers in Scotland;
- organises the Professional Interview Panel for the Flexible Routes to Headship ( FRH) programme;
- is involved in the Chartered Teacher programme through the accreditation route (now closed to new applicants) and through accrediting all modular Chartered Teacher programmes provided by universities.
What additional function could the GTCS provide in relation to CPD?
32. As potential guardian of the Standards, it has been suggested that the GTCS could expand its role to approve programmes and other routes leading to the award of the Standards. It has also been suggested that the GTCS could take on a greater role in relation to the general professional development of teachers.
33. In terms of programmes of professional development for teachers at any stage in their career, the GTCS could work with the providers of the courses, and other stakeholders, to ensure that the courses being provided helped teachers in Scotland develop the skills they need to do their job effectively. It may also be appropriate for the GTCS to discuss, and thereafter consult on, the introduction of a system of professional re-accreditation, in which evidence of teachers' professional development might play a key part in confirming that they have kept up to date with good practice and maintained professional standards.
34. The Scottish Government would be interested to hear the views of stakeholders as to whether CPD is an area in which the GTCS should be more involved.
Question
Q4: Do you think the GTCS should expand its role to into CPD? If so, what do you think this role should consist of?