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Keynote: GTCS continues to set the standard
By Anthony Finn, Chief Executive, GTC Scotland
In April, GTC Scotland will become the world's first independent self-regulating professional body for teaching. We plan a smooth transition with continuity of service - and no surprises - for the teaching profession in Scotland. We will let teachers know more about independence in the weeks to come.
In recent months, there has been considerable international interest in developments in Scotland. Other countries are looking closely at our models of teacher professionalism and are impressed by the qualifications and high standards of Scottish teachers, the quality of teacher induction and the relevance of our professional standards. It is, of course, not just GTC Scotland's impending independence which has led to this increased focus on Scotland. The recommendations of the Donaldson Report have also strongly emphasised the importance of good teaching and the key role of good leaders in our schools.
International scrutiny brings with it responsibilities and a need for leadership, not just here in Scotland but also in the way we respond to changes taking place in other countries. Although many countries are looking positively at our work, with some seeking to adopt similar models, there are others in which different approaches are being adopted. And some of these may have implications for Scotland in future years.
Perhaps the most significant change is occurring very close to home. In England, the introduction of free schools last September already allows headteachers to decide whom they can employ as teachers, the qualifications they need, how they should be paid and the conditions which they should enjoy. In addition, changes allowing local authority schools to become academies, together with the forthcoming abolition of both GTC England and the Training and Development Agency for schools, have caused some observers to compare the new educational landscape in England with the period when our streets were over-run by deregulated buses!
Our view is that teaching is a high order skill and that we need to maintain and improve qualification standards, not dilute them. Every year, a few hundred English colleagues apply for registration in Scotland. Once we have scrutinised their qualifications and experience, we are generally happy to register the vast majority as suitable for work in our schools. This process may not be as straightforward in future, as we will require to consider very carefully the qualifications and work experience of some "teachers".
There are those in Scotland, too, who would wish to modify teaching standards and/or to allow greater variety, or flexibility, in respect of who can engage in the teaching of our children. We are, of course, happy to support changes which will improve teaching and which might help teachers to contextualise and enhance the learning of pupils. We are, for example, interested in the Scottish Government's plans to develop creativity and culture during the Year of Creative Scotland 2012 and GTCS will be supporting this initiative. We will, however, continue to be alert to changes which could diminish teaching as a profession or undermine the very standards which have built Scotland's international reputation.