GTC responds to Education and Inspections Bill
Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00

Chief Executive Carol Adams comments on the Bill (01 Mar 2006).

Responding to the publication of the Education and Inspections Bill on February 28, 2006, General Teaching Council for England (GTC) Chief Executive Carol Adams says that incentives for teachers to remain working in challenging schools will be at least as important as legislation to create new forms of schools.

Carol Adams says:

"Tackling educational disadvantage and the attainment gap should be the top priority for education reform.  It is not acceptable that 40 per cent of our children are leaving school without the baseline achievement of five good GCSEs.

"A strong package of incentives for teachers to make a long term commitment to working in challenging schools will be at least as important as any of the legislative proposals for Trust schools.  It is the quality of teaching and leadership in schools, and the opportunity to collaborate, that is key to raising standards. 

"Overall, the test of the proposals in the Bill must be whether they can work in the interests of every child in a local area, whilst targeting additional support at those in greatest need of help. 

"It is essential that the measures in the Education Bill work coherently with the requirements of the Children Act and the legal duties of schools and public bodies to address race, disability and gender discrimination.  They must promote the achievement of all groups particularly those who are currently underachieving."