Consultation on the General Teaching Council for Scotland

SECTION 2 Outcome of review

7. The review concluded that the GTC's present activities are generally delivered effectively and with due concern for statutory and other constraints. The report recommends that the GTC should take on responsibilities in the areas of teachers' CPD and competence and that such increases in powers and functions should be dependent on the implementation of operational changes recommended in the report. The Scottish Executive accepts these overall conclusions, while taking the view that some operational changes recommended are for the Council itself to consider while others require detailed discussion between the Council and SEED.

SECTION 3 Purpose and scope of this consultation paper

8. This document informs interested parties about the outcome of the review of the GTC and the availability of the full report. While Scottish Ministers would be interested to receive comments on any aspect of the review or the report, the main purpose of this consultation document is to set out proposals which would require changes in primary legislation, in order that they can take views into account in preparing provisions for inclusion in the Improvement in Scottish Education Bill to be introduced later this year. It may also be necessary to make consequential amendments of a technical nature to the Teaching Council (Scotland) Act 1965.

9. Details of how to respond to this paper are in section 7. The closing date for responses is 31 October 1999. A separate consultation is taking place on the draft Improvement in Scottish Education Bill. Details of how to obtain that consultation document are also provided in section 7.

10. The proposals for change in section 4 of this paper relate to:

• The composition and committee structure of the GTC
• The range of sanctions in discipline cases
• Expansion of the register
• Eligibility to stand for election to the GTC
• Right of appeal against decision of committee on exceptional admission to the register
• New powers/duties for the GTC to:
  • de-register teachers dismissed for incompetence
  • de-register teachers on ill-health grounds
  • have a role in CPD
  • advise persons/bodies other than Scottish Ministers
  • act in the public interest
  • borrow money

11. Section 5 discusses one further matter raised in the report but where we have no proposals for legislation - registration of teachers in the independent sector.