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The GTC has a statutory duty to advise Government and other agencies, upholding your child's right to the highest quality of education. With our unique overview of the teaching profession, we are strongly placed to influence proposed legislation and current educational practice. There are four current areas in which the GTC has been making a major contribution. Read on to find out more about how the GTC is responding to these issues, which will directly affect your child's education.
Choosing the best way to assess pupils' progress and school performance The GTC wants the assessment of pupils to reflect the needs of parents who want to support their child?s education. We need to be asking questions such as: 'What information is most helpful to parents who want to be involved with their child?s education?' The GTC is calling for a fundamental review of the whole purpose of assessment, including how schools are held accountable for pupils? performance through league tables. The GTC wants:
Perspectives on pupil assessment (GTC) (PDF, 159KB)
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 The GTC is critical of parts of the Education and Inspections Act, which introduced changes to how our state schools are run and inspected. The GTC believes that:
GTC Briefing 12: Education and Inspections Bill (PDF, 54KB)
Working for children: the Government's new Children's Workforce Strategy Every Child Matters- how Government changes will affact your child's education For many years, there have been concerns about gaps in the services available to protect and support children, whether at school, through social services or in healthcare. The tragic death of Victoria Climbie led Government to propose a new approach, designed to put the child's interests at the centre, so that all professionals working with children work together more effectively. This Government's proposals have become knows as the "Every Child Matters" agenda. This was the name of the White Paper that led to the Children Act 2004. Under the Act, all the professionals who work with children- teachers, social workers, health visitors and the youth justice system, need to work more closely together to ensure five key outcomes for children:
In some local areas, children's services have been brought together under one umbrella organisation called a Children's Trust, but wherever you live, you should now find that public services are making changes designed to make children's services more joined up. The GTC supports the Every Child Matters agenda and is working closely with the organisations that govern nursing and social work to help nurses, teachers and social workers work together. One step in the process is a Joint Statement of Values for interprofessional working, agreed between the three organisations for discussion and consultation with the professions and the wider public, including children and young people themselves. Changes in the way we work should not mean that we lose sight of the unique role of schools and teachers. For example, we believe that early years teachers must continue to have Qualified Teacher Status, that means that they must be professionally trained in the skills of teaching. Although the GTC wants to see flexibility in the children's workforce, more research is needed before working with children and young people can be permitted to switch from one role to another.
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