The role of the General Teaching Council (GTC) for England
The GTC regulate the teaching profession in England in the public interest. They seek to uphold the high professional standards of registered teachers in this country. This includes examining allegations of serious professional misconduct and unacceptable professional conduct. The GTC also look at criminal convictions, whether committed in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, to determine whether they are relevant to a teacher’s fitness to be registered.
From September 2008, people training to be teachers have been required to provisionally register with the GTC. The GTC’s disciplinary functions are prescribed by legislation under the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 and the General Teaching Council for England (Disciplinary Functions) Regulations 2001 (as amended).
Cases relating to the safety and welfare of children and young people are dealt with by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
When the GTC can take action
The GTC consider allegations of serious professional incompetence and unacceptable professional conduct, and convictions for relevant offences. Serious professional incompetence falls seriously short of the competence expected of a registered teacher taking into account the relevant circumstances. Unacceptable professional conduct falls short of the standard of conduct expected of a registered teacher and involves a breach of the standards of propriety expected of the profession.
The cases referred to the GTC can be divided into eight categories. A few fall into more than one category. The categories are:
- Inappropriate language and/or inappropriate conduct in respect of pupils
- Actions which undermine the school and/or parents
- Misconduct relating to management and administration of exams
- Fraud and financial impropriety
- Misrepresentation of qualifications and other matters Misconduct relating to contractual matters
- Misconduct outside the workplace including criminal convictions
- Serious professional incompetence.
Relevant criminal offences have included:
- Benefit fraud
- Indecent assault
- Inflicting grievous bodily harm
- Manslaughter
- Possession of prohibited firearms and ammunition
- Threatening or disorderly behaviour
- Unlawful wounding
Sanctions available to the GTC
Where the GTC find allegations proved or criminal offences to be relevant, hearing panels may impose a disciplinary order in the public interest such as:
- Reprimand: a reprimand will remain on the Register for a two-year period;
- Conditional registration order: this applies conditions to registration for a specified
period or without limit of time;
- Suspension order: this suspends the teacher’s eligibility to register for up to two years, and may contain conditions; or
- Prohibition order: this removes the teacher’s eligibility to register. Teachers may apply for the restoration of their eligibility to register following a period specified in the order, which may not be less than two years and may be for an unlimited period.
Teachers whose registration is subject to conditions must comply with those conditions and may be called to a further hearing if they fail to do so. Compliance with conditions is monitored through regular contact with the teacher, employers and others as necessary. Teachers who receive suspension or prohibition orders may not teach in a setting where GTC registration is required during the period covered by the order, such as a maintained school, a non-maintained special
school or a pupil referral unit during the period covered by the order.
Publicising GTC Hearings
The name and school of the teacher and the committee they are to appear before are posted on the GTC website and in the foyers of the GTC's offices three working days before the hearing. No other information will be given out to any member of the public or the press before the hearing.
In accordance with the Council’s remit to act in the public interest, in common with other professional regulators and in line with human rights legislation, hearings are normally held in public. However, at the start of proceedings the disciplinary committee will consider any submissions by a teacher that all, or part of the hearing, should be held in private.
The decision of the committee will be given in public and confirmed in writing, along with the reasons for the decision. The decision will also be made available to employers in the form of the GTC Record of Decisions and, in accordance with Regulations, placed on the website for a three month period.
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