GTC Chief outlines education vision as research paper launched

An increased focus on pedagogy and helping teachers develop their professional skills is the aim of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, announced its new Chief Executive Anthony Finn today.

Mr Finn said that the GTC Scotland wants to maintain and enhance teacher standards by taking responsibility for the Standard for Headship and other professional development tools, including a new Standard for Leadership.

He was speaking at Linlithgow Academy at the launch of new research by Glasgow University, jointly commissioned by the GTC Scotland and the Scottish Government.

The project involved interviewing a variety of education professionals including probationers, early career teachers, head teachers, local authority staff and also school pupils - in a bid to get their views of the teaching profession.

It contains some significant findings on the impact of recent policy initiatives in teacher education, notably the Teacher Induction Scheme, on the professional culture of teachers in Scotland. It also examines broader academic issues including the impact of the 2001 McCrone agreement upon new entrants to the profession.

Speaking at the launch, Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, said:

"We want Scotland to continue to lead in education and to do that it is essential that we develop and support our teachers not just at the beginning of their careers but beyond. This report reinforces the fact that newly-qualified teachers entering our schools today are highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals and it is their creativity, ingenuity and confidence that can make Curriculum for Excellence a success."

The report highlights the contribution made by The Standard for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and The Standard for Full Registration in providing guidance both for the assessment of performance and for planning continuing professional development of teachers. With regards to career development, the report concluded that teachers of all role groups were receptive to the involvement of teachers in practitioner research. It also identified that there was a strong consensus in support of the contractual obligation to undertake CPD.

Anthony Finn says it is an important document and highlights that the continuous professional development (CPD) of teachers is key to maintaining and enhancing standards.

"The GTC Scotland is the regulatory body for the teaching profession in Scotland and regulation will always be our main function and focus. It is essential to ensuring the high quality and suitability of teachers to work with young people.

"However, the GTC Scotland has a duty to those who are on its register and pay their subscription every year. That duty is to represent their interests as modern professionals in a fast changing sector and work with them to maintain and enhance professional standards.

"The advent of new technology like the GLOW network, the imminent new Curriculum for Excellence and the developing needs and demands of young people, put significant pressure on teachers. The GTC Scotland wants to help them prepare for and meet these pressures by ensuring that they are provided with appropriate CPD opportunities to help them update existing skills and learn new ones.

"The research report recognises the contribution already made to teacher development by the Standards for ITE and for Full Registration; and although there are some improvements which can be made to the Chartered Teacher programme, it too provides an excellent opportunity to enhance teachers' professional skills, including their understanding of pedagogy. However, the existing standards do, I feel, require to be developed further; and we need to look at new ways to provide CPD opportunities for teachers and encourage them on what should be an invigorating career-long journey.

"Clearly, there is a gap in the provision for teachers in years 2-6 of their careers. Another significant weakness which clearly needs to be addressed is the need for more focused support for the leaders of schools, leaders who will be well-placed to encourage greater collegiality, more collaborative learning and a better understanding of the pedagogical needs of teachers as they implement a new curriculum with different management systems.

"We will therefore be arguing that work should now begin on the production of a Standard for Leadership, which should be relevant to many teachers but particularly to those who are considering a career in management. Different from but linked to other existing Standards, including the Standard for Headship, this new Standard would complete a suite of teaching standards which will provide guidance for teachers across their careers and ensure that an appropriate focus is placed on high quality learning and achievement in every classroom in Scotland.

"I will be working with colleagues to develop a strategy for completing this suite and will then present this to the Scottish Government for further discussion next year. We would urge the Scottish Government to support an important initiative which would logically fall to the GTC Scotland for development and subsequent maintenance."

Professor Kay Livingston at Glasgow University also commented:

"In the context of Curriculum for Excellence, it's encouraging that the findings show that teachers expressed a high level of confidence in their abilities to exercise a professional judgement. It is a positive sign for the future of the profession that experienced teachers commented on the confidence, enthusiasm and commitment of recent entrants to the profession and suggest that their presence has re-energised the school culture".

Further Information

Read the full Professional Culture Among New Entrants to the Teaching Profession report.

For further information contact: Kelly Paterson, Geronimo Communications on behalf of GTC Scotland on 0131 718 4085 or 07882 152 914.