Anthony Finn's keynoteAnthony Finn's keynote
Anthony Finn, CEO, GTCS
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The new session, as always, will bring significant opportunities and challenges. The successful implementation of CfE will depend on the readiness of schools to introduce new ways of teaching, or to adapt and refine existing approaches; continuing concerns over budgets will create significant pressures as schools make difficult decisions about and between areas of priority; and a review of teacher education will presage new approaches to planning the future education and training of teachers.
Against this background, it is perhaps surprising that there has been so much attention given recently to two other issues - teacher competence and re-accreditation. In GTC Scotland we are well-placed to make judgements about competence and my view is that the overwhelming majority of our teachers do a great job, sometimes in very difficult circumstances. Indeed, it is arguable that the professional standards of Scottish teachers are as high as they have ever been. Of course, in every job some people perform to a higher standard than others and some teachers may even do better with certain classes than with others. The teachers I know, however, work very hard and wish to do their job as well as they can. They are keen to learn about new ways to help their pupils and they wish to keep their own skills fresh and up-to-date. And since good teachers make a difference, then the better your skills, the greater the impact you will make in the classroom.
GTC Scotland will take great care to listen to teachers and their professional associations
Recent television programmes and media articles about incompetence have therefore missed the point. Of course, there will be a small number of cases in which GTC Scotland will be required to take action. To protect children and to maintain professional standards, we need to remove from our register those whose practice, when judged against the Standard for Full Registration, is chronically inadequate. However, is it surprising that only a small number of teachers reach this stage? Some teachers will have failed to meet standards during training or during probation, some will have realised that teaching is not for them and will have moved on to other professions; while others will experience temporary difficulties from which, with support and assistance, they will recover and rebuild their careers. Teaching is not, in my opinion, a profession in which it is comfortable to persist in failing.
Teachers do, however, need help to keep their skills up-to-date and to maintain and improve standards; and this is perhaps the main principle behind re-accreditation systems which are now so common in other occupations. While the concept of
re-accreditation is challenging for our profession, the fact that Government has now asked GTC Scotland to take this initiative forward is an indication that it wishes a profession-led approach. Certainly, GTC Scotland does not wish to impose a strict system which requires teachers to prove again the standards they achieved on qualification.
Re-accreditation (or whatever this is finally called) cannot therefore be imposed on teachers; nor will it be of any value if it is perceived as threatening or burdensome. GTC Scotland will take great care to listen to teachers and their professional associations, as well as to other stakeholders, before taking this issue forward.
One approach might be to ensure that any new system builds on and supports the needs of individual teachers. With the prospect of reduced budgets in the foreseeable future, opportunities for CPD will be more limited and it may be helpful to develop a mechanism for teachers to use to review their own needs and to consider how these might be met as their careers develop. Re-accreditation could offer a constructive procedure which confirms that teachers are seeking to maintain and improve their skills and that opportunities are being provided to allow this. It can be an entitlement rather than a threat; and it need not be linked to competence, since there are existing mechanisms available to handle the small number of cases in which standards of performance are in question.
Interesting times lie ahead, but GTC Scotland intends to take a progressive view on the development of any new systems. Every teacher wants to do their job well. Let's find a professional way to help them continue to do so.
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would like to knowthe GTCS view on this scenario. I agree with Steve its a last option!
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