GTC Scotland and College Lecturers

GTC Scotland is the national professional registration body for college lecturers in Scotland.

It carries out a wide range of statutory functions and other initiatives to promote, support and develop the teaching profession in Scotland.

In relation to Scotland’s college sector, GTC Scotland:

• Is the registration body for lecturers working within Scotland’s colleges
• Accredits programmes leading to the award of GTC Scotland Professional Standards, including Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes at Scottish universities
• Provides public protection and assures the high-quality of the teaching profession by investigating and adjudicating on the Fitness to Teach of registrants through robust and fair regulation
• Sets the Professional Standards and Code of Professionalism and Conduct expected of teachers and college lecturers and oversees Professional Update
• Advises the Scottish Government on matters relating to teaching in Scotland and Scotland’s teaching profession.

GTC Scotland was one of the first teaching councils in the world when it was set up in 1965.

In 2012, legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament made it the world’s first independent, self-regulating body for teaching.

GTC Scotland welcomes Scotland’s colleges

In 2018, there was a national agreement to register all lecturers working in Scotland’s colleges through GTC Scotland.

A cross-sector steering group was set up to establish requirements and pathways for college lecturers to register with, and be regulated by, GTC Scotland.

The steering group, known as the College Lecturer Registration Working Group (CLRWG), includes representatives from: GTC Scotland (Officers and Council Members), EIS-FELA, Colleges Scotland, Universities offering the TQFE and the Scottish Government.

CLRWG, chaired by Pauline Stephen, Chief Executive and Registrar of GTC Scotland has designed and established a major programme of work to realise the registration of college lecturers.

Ongoing and ever closer partnership working with all colleges and college lecturers in Scotland is particularly important in taking forward this programme of work to help increase awareness and encourage engagement with all college lecturers impacted by this significant change.

Guardianship of the Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges was transferred to GTC Scotland by the Scottish Government in December 2019.

The Professional Standards are central to lecturer professionalism and work is underway to promote and support college lecturers to further enhance their professional practice and support career-long professional learning.

We look forward to working with you all on this important development for the college sector in Scotland.