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Teacher Selection

Answer

While the ultimate responsibility for considering the professional suitability of recruits lies with the individual governing bodies and with the local authorities as the employers of teachers, the Department plays a key role in supporting them in this process. We have provided comprehensive guidance highlighting the importance of thorough checks on anybody who will be working in schools, emphasising the need for governing bodies and local authorities to employ appropriate rigour in ensuring unsuitable people cannot obtain positions in our schools.All initial teacher training providers are required to interview applicants for teacher training, enabling them to explore their personal qualities and potential to meet the professional values and practices of those aspiring to teach. These values include respect for other people, a positive attitude towards learning, respect for cultural diversity and social responsibility.The Terrorism Act which gained royal assent on 30 March makes it an offence to ‘encourage terrorism' and we have made it clear in successive guidance that CRB checks are strongly recommended as part of the appointment process on anybody who will be working in schools. In addition, the Secretary of State recently announced that existing arrangements will become compulsory for schools through proposed amendments to regulations to be made under sections 35 and 36 of the Education Act 2002 (and section 72 of the School Standards and Framework Act (SSFA) 1998)—this will affect amendments to the current School Staffing (England) Regulations 2003 and will make an ‘on appointment' CRB check compulsory for all new appointments to the schools workforce.We place great trust in the professionalism and dedication of teachers and the wider school workforce and expect that they will leave personal prejudices at home. Where we find that teachers have not behaved professionally the General Teaching Council (GTC) has the necessary power to remove those teachers from schools. Through their Statement of Professional Values and Practices and their Code of Conduct and Practice for registered teachers they have the means to ensure that a person espousing support for terrorism could be prevented from entering the profession or, if already a registered teacher, called before a disciplinary hearing. The sanctions available to the GTC include prohibition from practice as a registered teacher.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

66060; 445 c1764-5W;445 c1764-5W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Vetting Terrorism Teachers

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk