Towards active registration

This article, written by Chief Executive Keith Bartley, originally appeared in the Times Educational Supplement newspaper on October 5, 2007.

As a qualified and registered teacher, do you believe your professionalism is valued? How is the profession regarded by government, by parents, by pupils, and by the wider public?

Increasingly, the Government now praises the quality of teachers and pays tribute to their efforts.  There is a new mood music playing: trust teachers and their professional judgement; get off their backs.  But has the tune really changed, or just the lyrics?

The wider public has always thought well of teachers, who consistently score very highly in opinion poll ratings as professionals trusted by the public.  But how deep does that trust run, and how meaningful is it if it does not translate into active engagement by all parents and carers in their child’s learning, into backing teachers’ expectations for high effort and good behaviour?

Given the climate of disdain and distrust that prevailed during the eighties and early nineties, it would be surprising  if teachers’ own professional self esteem had not been dented,.  But I believe we are now in a better position to rebuild and develop teachers’ own sense of pride in their profession and its reputation in the eyes of the public.

There are many ways to define the values and characteristics of a profession. Commonly these include defined entry standards, an expectation of continuing learning and a commitment to public service. For teachers, professional values are often expressed through their own personal commitment and relate directly to where they work and the pupils they teach.

The purpose of professional registration as a means of assuring the wider public of the quality of teachers, may therefore not be immediately obvious Yet if we believe that teacher education makes a difference and that we are better teachers because we have studied and prepared for the role, it follows that parents and the public should know that children are being taught by qualified teachers of good standing. That is what basic registration involves.

But could a more active expression of professional registration not only deepen the public trust in the profession but also demonstrate to decision makers that teachers are very well placed to shape teaching and learning in schools? 

Other professions have a requirement for members to provide regular evidence that they have taken part in mandatory continuing professional development.  That is their interpretation of active registration. It is not what I have in mind, however.

 Teachers specialise in learning.  We know that clocking up a certain number of days or hours of study does not guarantee that learning has taken place.  Many of us have experienced poorly designed CPD, which bore little relevance to our daily practice. We have abundant evidence of what makes for effective CPD for teachers. The teacher associations have worked hard to ensure an entitlement to continuing professional development. They recognise that a commitment to learning is a hallmark of a profession and the key to ever higher standards of practice.

From the start of this term, we now have a performance management framework that should lead to teachers’ CPD needs being identified, which is at least the first step to having those needs met. 

So, most qualified teachers in maintained schools would already meet my basic criteria for active registration - a commitment to, and participation in, continuing work-based learning.  We know from our annual survey that supply teachers are at a disadvantage in their access to CPD.  Opportunities for them and for those returning to teaching after a break need to be extended and improved. As a former PE teacher, being active has a natural appeal!  But, having achieved a basic level of fitness, can we demonstrate to all the benefits of a commitment to continual professional improvement, that is recognised and accredited by teachers themselves, and that gives true professional ownership of pedagogy and practice?

Active registration is one part of the jigsaw of teacher professionalism. The GTC’s role in supporting that professionalism is something we want to debate and develop in the coming months and years – and we want to hear your views.

Keith Bartley is Chief Executive of the General Teaching Council for England
chiefexec@gtce.org.uk