Under consideration PE2170: Abolish the General Teaching Council for Scotland

Background information

Many concerns have been raised about GTCS not meeting its principal legislative aims regarding:
- handling of safeguarding concerns which GTCS often dismiss as 'frivolous’, evidenced in the Professional Standards Authority’s review of the Fitness to Teach process.
- lack of action regarding credible concerns of potential widespread bullying of teachers by superiors
- concerns that the Fitness to Teach function was allowed to be weaponised unfairly against teachers
- concerns of potential collusion with one or more teacher unions to wrongly prevent or influence bona fide peer to peer teacher referrals
- Scottish Government responses to parliamentary questions, confirming awareness of specific concerns raised.

The GTCS is not supporting teachers’ professional development nor are they helping children to experience improved quality learning and teaching.

The government decided to replace Education Scotland and reform the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Now GTCS, which has presided over declining standards and serious concerns, must be abolished in the public interest to ensure that trust in teaching and their regulator is maintained.