A GTCE perspective

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• A GTCE perspective
• Sarah Jennings, Policy Adviser

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GTCE position

• The GTC believes that an individuals suitability
  to teach should be determined by that persons
  ability to meet the conduct and competence
  standards and to support childrens learning and
  achievement.

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GTC Work

• The GTC does not make an assessment of the health
  and physical standards
• of those applying for QTS
• for registration with the Council
• as part of the regulatory casework
• in its role as the induction appeals body

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Fitness to Teach

• The GTC does not apply the Fitness to Teach
  guidance.
• But we do have an interest in it, as GTC
  registrants are determined by the initial and
  then subject to the ongoing application of
  Fitness to Teach.

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Response to the DRC report

• The GTC has concerns that the Fitness to Teach
  guidance may deter good teachers of the future
  from joining the profession
• Judgements about health or disability should not
  be an obstacle. Instead reasonable adjustments
  need to be made that enable disabled people to
  enter and thrive in teaching.
• The GTC promotes the development of a climate
  which leads to disclosure of disability ,and in
  turns lead to support and provision of reasonable
  adjustment.

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Disability data from the GTCE register

• Teachers who register by application form are
  asked to indicate if they consider they have a
  disability.
• Data is also collected via the College Exit
  process.
• Teachers are not required to provide this
  information.
• Just over one thousand teachers 1087 have told us
  they have a disability (as defined).
• This is 0.2 of registered teachers.
• These proportions do not provide a reliable
  indication of the disability of registered
  teachers.

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Improving disability data coverage

• We have good information about teachers who
  started their careers in the last 5 years.
• Pilot exercise with 6800 considered response
  rates using different collection methods.
• Last week a diversity data collection form was
  sent to 400 000 teachers, with the GTC magazine.
• But we still need a climate which is conducive to
  disclosure.

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Disabled Teacher Taskforce

• Remit
• The GTC established the Disabled Teacher
  Taskforce in order to
•  Highlight the inequality of opportunity for
  disabled individuals in entering the teaching
  profession
• Raise awareness of the current policies and
  practices that cause difficulties for disabled
  students to access teacher training
• Encourage national organisations to act on
  removing barriers and promoting opportunities for
  disabled people entering the teaching profession,
  either unilaterally or through collaborative
  projects
• Develop a programme of action, which ensures that
  national partners are able to make progress
  leading to fewer barriers and more opportunities
  for people with disabilities entering the
  profession.

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