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50. The report notes that the register of the GTC includes teachers working in the independent sector although GTC registration is not mandatory for employment in independent schools. The consultants were informed that independent schools are increasingly choosing to require their staff to be registered with the GTC as a condition of employment, largely in order to assure themselves that they have undergone a criminal records check. They take the view that there may be little impediment to enforcing registration or phasing out arrangements for the minority of unregistered teachers and recommend that the GTC and representatives of the independent sector should work together to develop proposals for introducing compulsory registration in the independent sector.
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The Scottish Executive does not accept that there should be compulsory registration in the independent sector. The issue is significantly more complex than the report suggests. The report does not recognise the possible reasons for some teachers not being registered; in many cases there are particular reasons for non-registration and there would be significant difficulties in becoming registered. In addition, a blanket requirement could result in closure of some provision fulfilling specific needs. In Ministers' view the arguments for a requirement to register do not justify the potential restriction in provision of independent education. It is also relevant that the Police Act 1997 will extend access to criminal records in relation to applications for employment. |
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Ministers would, however, encourage representatives of the independent sector and the GTC to look together at the issues surrounding teacher registration in the independent sector to see if there is more that could be done to encourage registration. |
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