You will recall that last year in January 2008, the First Minister announced that the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) was to become a “self-regulating, profession-led body.”
Between April and June 2009 the Scottish Government issued a consultation seeking views on the functions and governance arrangements for an independent GTCS. I now attach a link to a document containing both the analysis of the consultation and the official Scottish Government response which indicates the way forward for the GTCS.
The key question in the consultation for us in the CPD world was of course Question 4 which explored the role of the GTCS in relation to CPD. In response to the issues raised, the SG is “not minded to significantly amend the functions of the GTCS to give the Council an overall lead in this area”.
However the GTCS will be asked to take lead responsibility in relation to the development and subsequent management of a system of re-accreditation of teachers. The Government suggests this fits well with GTCS overarching responsibility to ensure that the teaching profession provides the highest possible quality of education for children in Scotland’s schools, and will help embed a culture of ongoing professional development throughout the profession.
The GTCS will set the requirements for entry into the profession, set the standards that all teachers must work to, while taking on a new responsibility for helping teachers ensure their skills remain up to date.
There is more information on re-registration and how it might work in the document.
The CPD Team would love to hear your thoughts on this!
The GTC Education Conference at Stirling Management Centre on May 28th was a great day with more than 200 delegates gathered to hear a number of key speakers including Professor Andy Hargreaves, Tony Finn, David Cameron and others talk about “Professional Culture in the Teaching Profession in Scotland”. I was taken with Andy Hargreaves’ view that “Teaching is an act of joy”
I presented a workshop in the afternoon on the theme of CPD and why it matters which you can find below.
Margaret Alcorn and I had the real privilege of sharing the work of the CPD team with a range of colleagues from Norway recently. We are both grateful to the GTCS for their kind offer to take part in the international visit. You can see my bit of the presentation here.
Determined to Succeed (Jean MacMillan)
Jean had recently had the chance to speak to a group of young people who were firmly in the ‘More choices, more chances’ category and who are near to leaving school. They share a considerable uncertainty about their future, with one exception. Many of the aspects which the school thinks are preparing them for life Read more…
Attached is a draft of the revised Standard and the GTCS would welcome your comments. The draft is focused on exactly what it is that makes the Chartered Teacher Standard distinctive while developing a natural progression and coherence from the Standard for Full Registration. The draft emphasises the fundamental place of the values which underpin the Standard and the leadership qualities and skills expected from and demonstrated by the Chartered Teacher.
Attached are some questions for you to consider and comments should be passed by the 23February to: cheryl.loughbrough@gtcs.org.uk
1 Are you in favour of the suggested changes for the Standard for Chartered Teacher? (Please feel free to comment positively or negatively about particular changes)
2 Are there other suggestions you would make for consideration as possible changes?
3 Do you have any general comments you wish to make about the Standard for Chartered Teacher?
I am in Stockholm with Simon Macaulay of the EIS and Tom Hamilton of GTCS. We are taking part in a seminar with Lärarförbundet, the largest educational trade union in Sweden. If you are visiting the blog from Sweden, do please leave us a comment! Tack så mycket!
Members of the CPD Team will be attending the Annual National Lecture which takes place on the 1st October at the National Gallery for Scotland in Edinburgh.
This year’s annual lecture will be delivered by Elish Angiolini the Lord Advocate for Scotland. Appointed the first female Solicitor General for Scotland in 2001, she was also the first Procurator Fiscal and the first solicitor to hold the post. In 2006, she was appointed Lord Advocate, the head of Scotland’s prosecution service, the first woman in the 500-year history of that post.
The Council’s Code of Professionalism and Conduct is launched today, 27 May, by Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning. Within GTC Scotland’s wider framework of standards, this Code and commentary states not only to the profession but also to members of the public, the standard of conduct and competence expected of registered teachers.The Code does not set out to address every possible circumstance in which teachers might find themselves. It is however, intended that teachers are mindful of the Code in relation to the judgements which they will be called upon to make in situations which may occur both within and outwith the classroom.
This is a guest post on behalf of our colleagues in the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland)
GTC Scotland announces that the current Accreditation Route, organised by GTC Scotland will close for application from 31 August 2008. All teachers who have registered with GTC Scotland before this date will have two years to complete their submission and a further three years should a re-submission be required. More information on the GTCS web site
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Members of the CPD Team will be attending the Annual National Lecture which takes place on the 1st October at the National Gallery for Scotland in Edinburgh.