The GTC registration fee for 2010

last updated:25 Jan 2010

Council Members will discuss the GTCE’s proposed budget and financial strategy for 2010-11 to 2012-13 at a Council meeting, tomorrow, Tuesday 26 January.

They will debate recommendations from the Executive Committee for the operational budget and fee level for 2010-11, with indicative forecasts for the following two years. Council’s decision on fee level will then be recommended to the Secretary of State.  By law, the GTCE fee has to be confirmed by the Secretary of State. 

The GTCE fee has remained unchanged at £33 per year for the last four years. The GTCE’s remit is set by Parliament and requires the GTCE to be more than simply a regulator - the remit requires us to work to raise standards of professional conduct among teachers, to support improvements in teaching standards and to raise the standing of the profession.

Whilst successful efforts have been made to contain costs and to operate as efficiently as possible, we have now reached the point where an increase will be required if the GTCE is to continue with the programme of activities agreed by Council in January 2009. Rises in the number of case referrals to the GTCE will require a substantially increased budget for regulatory work.  Council members will discuss the proposed expenditure budget and fee and decide whether to seek a fee increase and at what level.

The General Teaching Council for England budget and fee level is discussed in private session because it may affect the commercial interests of contractors who supply services to the Council.  Budget papers were therefore circulated to Council members in confidence and should not have been disclosed to any third party.  The NASUWT has issued a hostile statement today, seeking to pre-empt the debate in Council.  Parts of the statement are inaccurate but clearly indicate that a breach of confidential information has occurred. This calls into question the continuing participation of the NASUWT in the governance of Council.

Any change in the level of the fee will be notified to teachers well ahead of 1 April, when fee payment is due.