12 months ago I signed a petition that challenged a ‘Code of Conduct’ written by the GTC. It would appear that the GTC is now the walking dead with some quite firm criticism from Education Secretary Michael Gove and the teaching unions.
My first introduction to the GTC was a letter inviting directing me apply. The second was a reference pointing me to a teachers Code of Conduct. A code that was supposed to help me ‘maintain reasonable standards’ and to enable me to ‘uphold public trust and confidence in the profession.’ Did teachers, parents, guardians, cares, governors, any of the education stakeholders, take that for granted? From the outset, I had little or no confidence in the GTC, as it certainly felt like they had little or no confidence in my professional conduct.
Apart from a yearly magazine (I think it was yearly) and a reminder to pay the subscription, I can not remember how I benefited professionally from the GTC.
In a statement, the GTCE responded saying it was created by Parliament to
work in the public interest to improve standards of professional conduct among teachers, to contribute to raising standards of teaching and learning and to raise the standing of the teaching profession.
I accept that the GTC may well have achieved that aim in many cases, in many schools, in many classrooms, but not in my classroom.