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Council Elections

Arrangements for election 2013-2014

An election will take place later this year to fill eight of the 19 registered teacher seats on the fully independent GTC Scotland Council. The formal "Notice of Election" will be published in the August issue of Teaching Scotland and here on the GTC Scotland website during week commencing 19 August. The Notice will give full details of the qualifications required of candidates and electors.

We extend an invitation to you to consider standing for election.

The GTC Scotland Council

GTC Scotland is governed by a Council of 37 members. This includes 19 elected registered teachers, 11 educational stakeholder nominees and seven lay members appointed by an independent Appointments Committee. A rolling programme of elections, nominations and appointments for half of the Council members takes place every two years. The aim is to retain a degree of operational continuity within the Council. Council members serve for a four year term.

The eight teachers to be elected will serve on Council from 2 April 2014 for a period of four years.

Election categories

The table below provides an explanation of the categories in which the eight teachers are to be elected:

No of election category	Codes	Election category	Council members to be elected	Qualifications of persons entitled to nominate candidates and to vote
I	"P" & "PHT"	Teachers (including headteachers) in primary schools or nursery schools in Scotland	3*	Registered teachers in primary schools or nursery schools in Scotland
II	"S" & "SHT"	Teachers (including headteachers) in secondary schools in Scotland	5*	Registered teachers in secondary schools in Scotland
*One seat will be reserved to those employed as headteachers within each of these categories. In each of the above categories a registered teacher (whether a teacher or headteacher) may nominate and/or vote for a teacher or headteacher.

The term of office for the elected Council seats in the Further Education category (one seat) and the Universities (providing Initial Teacher Education) category (one seat) runs until 1 April 2016. Therefore no election arises to be held in either of these two categories at the present time.

You will need to be in the correct election category in order to stand for election or vote in the appropriate category.

What do you need to do

• Make sure:
• you are in the correct election/voting category in order to stand for election or vote; and
• that your contact details are up-to-date so we can send you information on candidates and how to vote for them.
• Log into MyGTCS or sign up for a MyGTCS account to check your contact details and your election/voting category.
• Don't worry if your election/voting category and/or contact details are different to what is recorded at MyGTCS.

You can update your contact details and request a change to your election/voting category by logging in to MyGTCS.

Council Elections – Election / Voting Categories

It is a requirement of the Election Scheme that all teachers on the register must be allocated to an election/voting category.

Your election/voting category can be found if you log into MyGTCS. If you do not have a MyGTCS account, sign up for one now.

If you are standing for election, you must make sure you are in the election category in which you wish to stand for election when you submit your nomination form.

The closing date for receipt of nomination forms is 12 noon on Monday 23 September 2013.

You have until the close of play on Wednesday 4 December 2013 to ensure that you are in the correct election/voting category for voting in the election.

How are you allocated to an election/voting category?

1. You are eligible to be allocated to the election/voting category that relates:
• to your teaching qualification or registration sector;

or

• to the category of school or educational establishment (ie primary, secondary, further education or university providing Initial Teacher Education) in which you are employed.
  
2. If you are not employed in any election/voting category, you may still be allocated to one of those categories:
• if you have been employed at any time in that category;

or

• if you hold a teaching qualification or registration in a sector that could enable you to be employed in that category.
  
3. There is no election category for Additional Support Needs; instead teachers are allocated to the election category that relates to their teaching qualification or registration sector, or to the category of school or educational establishment (ie primary, secondary, further education, or university providing Initial Teacher Education) in which currently or previously employed.
   
4. In the primary/nursery and secondary school categories:
• you can only be placed in a headteacher category if you are currently employed as a headteacher;
• if you are employed as an acting or depute headteacher, you will not be entitled to be placed in a headteacher category but will be placed in a teacher category.
  
5. For the purpose of a Council election, within each of the primary/nursery and secondary school categories the teacher and headteacher categories are integrated (with reserved headteacher seats) and you may nominate and/or vote for a teacher or headteacher (whether you are a teacher or headteacher).

Standing for election and the opportunities open to Council members

As a Council member, you will have an opportunity to contribute to the work of the independent GTC Scotland, to gain a wider understanding of the work which we do and to enhance your own professional development. Attendance at GTC Scotland meetings and events can form part of your CPD.

Members of Council are involved in decision making at the highest level. They set the strategic direction of GTC Scotland and monitor its performance. They also play an important role in the development and delivery of strategic advice on matters that impact on the standards of teaching and of teacher professionalism and that affect the teaching profession in Scotland.

If you would like to play a part in influencing such matters and to bring your ideas, expertise and talent to our work as the independent professional, regulatory body for teaching in Scotland, we encourage you to stand for election.

Compensation and Expenses payment

• Council members will be eligible to claim compensation payment of £75 for each half-day (up to 3.5 hours) for attendance at agreed Council, committee or panel meetings or training events in line with the GTC Scotland/Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) Protocol.
  
• Members will also be refunded all reasonable expenses incurred in connection with GTC Scotland business.

Key election 2013-2014 diary dates

Date	Activity
19 - 23 August 2013	Election advertised; nomination papers available online or on request.
23 September 2013 (noon)	Closing date for receipt of nomination papers; by this date all candidates must be in the correct election category.
4 December 2013	Closing date for electors; by this date all electors must be in the appropriate election category.
13 January 2014	Ballot papers issued (including information relating to voting online or by post).
5 February 2014 (noon)	Closing date for receipt of online votes or postal ballot papers.
10 February 2014 (or as soon as possible after this date)	Publication of results.
February/March 2014	Induction meetings of the new Council (two days - dates to be announced).
2 April 2014	New Council members take up office.