Scotland’s teaching watchdog is highlighting five themes that the government needs to address to enhance trust in the teaching profession, including calling for a more “coordinated approach” to be taken, “particularly in 51 matters”.
The call - made in the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s - follows that found “clearer agreement on ‘who does what’ in the system” is needed when it comes to investigating complaints about teachers.
In the GTCS manifesto, published today to coincide with the body’s 60th anniversary, the organisation also calls for “deeper efforts” to understand “current and future teacher supply requirements” and for “urgent and coordinated action” to enhance the attractiveness of teaching as a career.
Improving the appeal of teaching
While primary teachers in Scotland have struggled in recent years to find secure work, there is a severe shortage of secondary staff in many subject areas - with just half of the places available on the most common route into secondary teaching, the PGDE, filled this academic year.
Issues that must be addressed to improve the appeal of the profession, the GTCS says, include: unmanageable workload; “how a negative workplace culture affects wellbeing”; a lack of flexible working; the impact of inspection on morale; and “the compounding effect of learners requiring additional support and cuts to education and children’s services”.
On child protection, the GTCS says there needs to be “greater clarity of the roles and responsibilities of those working within and in support of the education system”.
It adds: “There also needs to be a coordinated approach as to who investigates when and what information should flow between organisations, particularly in 51 matters.”
The GTCS calls for “a coherent system of regulation with effective oversight to improve public confidence in education delivery and to ensure child 51 and protection”.
It suggests that “the newly established ”, a joint initiative between the Scottish government and councils, established to drive improvements in education, “will have a role to play”, as will “a refocused inspectorate”.
The call follows a review of the GTCS process for investigating a teacher’s conduct or competence - known as “Fitness to Teach” - commissioned by the body and published in May.
It found that there needed to be “clearer agreement on ‘who does what’ in the system” around investigating complaints about teachers.
GTCS policy is to allow cases to be investigated locally first. However, the review found “employer investigations may vary in quality” and “result in outcomes which are insufficient to protect the public”.
Prioritising high teaching standards
Pauline Stephen, GTCS chief executive, said: “We are taking our five key manifesto themes to political parties as a call to action for politicians who want to respond to the challenges facing education today by ensuring that high teaching standards continue to be championed and supported.
“While a strong framework for trusted teaching has been built, challenges remain. Now, just as in 1961 [when 1,000-plus striking teachers filled the Central Halls on Bath Street in Glasgow to push for a body dedicated to teaching standards], we must continue to stand up for the profession and keep standards high.”
In a to mark the anniversary, Dr Stephen points out that the GTCS was set up in response to a crisis, with teacher shortages leading to uncertified teachers working in Scottish schools and qualified teachers striking as a result.
She says that, while some of today’s challenges differ from those of the 1960s, “issues in teacher supply persist”, with “shortages in some areas and surplus in others”.
She adds: “A frequent refrain is for standards to be lowered to remedy the situation. GTC Scotland knows its roots; we will continue to advocate for the high standards teachers fought for 60 years ago.”
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