NASUWT Campaign against the new GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice
Latest GTCE Update
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, announced on 2 June 2010 his intention to abolish the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE). The future of the GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice is therefore unclear.
The NASUWT has issued the following press releases:
‘Teachers in Wales must not pay the price for the abolition of GTC England’ says the NASUWT03/06/2010 15:15
Whilst teachers in England will welcome the announcement, teachers in Wales would be right to be concerned about the potential consequences for them.
'Decision on BNP member may have sealed the fate of the GTC' says the NASUWT 02/06/2010 16:06
The NASUWT reaction to the announcement by Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, that the General Teaching Council for England is to be abolished.
Decision by GTC to clear BNP teacher is ‘absolutely staggering’ says the NASUWT 28/05/2010 11:44
The NASUWT responds to the news that a British National Party (BNP) activist and teacher, has been cleared of racial and religious intolerance by a General Teaching Council (GTC) hearing.
Latest comment by the NASUWT on GTC issues
Updates on the future of the GTCE will be published on the GTCE website at www.gtce.org.uk/gtc/gtc_future/ (new window).
NASUWT Campaign against the new GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice
All NASUWT members are being urged to Sign the Petition to the GTCE (new window) calling for the withdrawal of the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) Code of Conduct and Practice (new window) for teachers and headteachers.
The NASUWT believes that the new Code of Conduct and Practice, which came into force in October 2009, intrudes into teachers’ personal lives and fundamentally undermines their basic human rights. The NASUWT put in a comprehensive response to the consultation on the Code of Conduct and Practice and none of the Union’s concerns have been addressed.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“The new Code of Conduct and Practice is riddled with vague statements that are open to wide interpretation and abuse, putting teachers’ jobs and careers at risk.
“It makes little reference to actual professional conduct and reads more like a blueprint for seeking sainthood.
“Although the Council has adopted the Code, it is important teachers register their concern with the GTCE and call for it to withdraw and rethink this Code.”
The General Secretary has emailed members to request they Sign the Petition to the GTCE (new window) to register their concerns about the GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice. You can also have your say and join the NASUWT Members’ Forum Discussion on the GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice (new window).
The NASUWT Position Statement - The GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice outlines the Union's policy position in full.
The Code of Conduct and Practice
From 1 October 2009, the GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice (new window) will apply to all teachers with qualified teacher status and to teachers who are required to be provisionally registered with the GTCE.
NASUWT Action
In February of this year the GTCE issued the Draft Code of Conduct and Practice. The NASUWT Consultation Response to the GTCE Draft Code of Conduct and Practice (MS Word 106KB) made a clear and robust statement that began by calling into question the need for the revision of the existing Code of Conduct. The NASUWT response made Ten Key Points about the Draft Code of Conduct and Practice. The Union criticised the minimalist reference to conduct within the Draft Code and the potential for it to impinge on the private lives of teachers; we pointed out the ridiculous and disproportionate nature of the 9 core values and 64 conduct descriptors of 8 principles for teachers to adhere to; and called for a withdrawal of the Draft Code of Conduct and Practice and consultation with teacher trades unions on the purpose and nature of the Code of Conduct and Practice.
The NASUWT’s judgement on the Code of Conduct and Practice is guided by the application of the following key tests:
- is there a robust case and evidence to support the update to the Code of Conduct?
- is there any compelling objective, empirical evidence to confirm that the existing Code of Conduct is deficient?
- is the draft Code of Conduct and Practice essential for the discharge by the GTCE of its statutory registration and regulatory functions?
- is the draft Code of Conduct and Practice distinctive from other existing regulatory arrangements?
- has the implementation of the draft Code of Conduct and Practice been assessed fully with regard to future financial and resource demands on the GTCE?
The NASUWT’s assessment is that the Draft Code of Conduct and Practice does not pass these key tests and, on that basis, there can be no justification for the GTCE to proceed with these proposals.
An examination of the revised Draft Code of Conduct and Practice reveals that very little real change has been effected as a result of the consultation exercise in general, or in terms of the main concerns expressed by the NASUWT. Crucially, the Ten Key Points we put in our response have not been addressed by the revisions to the Code of Conduct and Practice. The NASUWT has consistently maintained that the GTCE's consultation process is fundamentally flawed.
The reassurance in the early part of the draft that “The Code sets out expectations of reasonable standards of behaviour but does not limit a teacher’s right to a private life” remains hollow in the view of the NASUWT.
The NASUWT is the largest teachers union, representing over a quarter of a million teachers, yet the Union's response was given the same weight by the GTCE analysis as one individual's response. It is also scandalous that the GTCE's intention is to spend thousands of pounds of teachers’ registration fees promoting the Code.
In July 2009, NASUWT representatives on the GTCE Council spoke against and voted to reject the Code of Conduct and Practice, but not all teachers on the Council objected and so the Code of Conduct and Practice was ratified by a far from unanimous decision.
Have your say! Sign the Petition to the GTCE (new window) and join the NASUWT Members’ Forum Discussion on the GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice (new window).
Have your Say! Sign the Petition to the GTCE
You can object to the decision of the GTCE to introduce a new Code of Conduct and Practice for teachers and Sign the Petition to the GTCE (new window).
Forum Discussion
Have your say! Join the NASUWT Members’ Forum Discussion on the GTCE Code of Conduct and Practice (new window).
