MINUTES OF THE NINTH MEETING OF THE GENERAL TEACHING COUNCIL FOR WALES

Date: 25th September 2002.       Location: The Beaufort Park Hotel, Mold

Attending –

Item One – Draft Minutes of the Council Meeting of 21 June 2002

1 Matters arising.

1.1 Three names had been omitted from the attendance list for the meeting: members Sheila Drayton and Peter Williams, and officer Zoe Grundy.

1.2 Minute 1.3. Members asked if there was any updated information regarding the request from the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) Cymru asking the Council’s views on participating in seeking an automatic accredited route to membership of the Institute for learning and Teaching (ILT). The Chief Executive replied that the GTCW had written to the Heads of Higher Education Wales (HEW), who had agreed in principle to work with GTCW and UCET and that a meeting had been arranged to take matters forward.

Item 2 - To receive notification of any issues which members wish to raise in respect of the ‘Information’ Agenda Items (15-18).

2 Matters arising.

2.1 A member raised an issue regarding item 16, the Quarterly Review (GTCW 37/02), and the section on Media Evaluations, concerning the lack of coverage by North Wales media, in particular the Daily Post. A discussion followed regarding the difficulties of getting coverage in the Daily Post. It was decided that a face to face meeting with the Daily Post correspondent in Cardiff be arranged by the Press & Publications Officer.

Item 3 – Draft minutes of the Executive Committee of 16 July 2002

The Chief Executive introduced the minutes of the meeting. The majority of issues raised during the Executive Committee meeting were on the Council agenda for discussion.

3 Matters arising.

3.1 It was noted that the final sentence of Minute 6.2 should read “…to obtain permission from each teacher (1,400 teachers) regarding publication of the participant’s name and contact information.”

No other issues were raised.

Item 4 – Draft minutes of the Policy Committee of 16 July 2002

The Chief Executive introduced the minutes of the meeting. The majority of issues raised during the Policy Committee meeting were on the Council agenda for discussion.

No other matters were raised.

Item 5 – Draft minutes of the Registration Committee of 18 July 2002

Gwen Williams, Chairperson of the Registration Committee, introduced the minutes of the meeting. The majority of issues raised during the Registration Committee meeting were on the Council agenda for discussion.

5 Matters arising.

5.1 Members’ attention was drawn to:
Minute 4.2.2 in which the Committee was recommending to Council that a criminal records check should be made as part of the suitability criteria for registration and for officers to do some further work on medical fitness checks before the Committee could make a recommendation on this issue.
Minute 6.1 (a) to continue with the current wording of Rule 11(4) of the Council’s Disciplinary Procedures and Rules, but to review in March/April with a view to introducing a list of minor convictions which could be dealt with by officers; and,
Minute 6.2 that officers be requested to analyse the set of standards and principles provided by other professional bodies and present further information to the Registration Committee’s next meeting.

5.2 No other matters were raised.

Item 6 – Registration Report (GTCW 27/02)

The Registrar introduced the report, providing members with an update on the registration process and the collection of registration fees. Members were asked to discuss and agree a draft timetable for the collection of registration fees for 2003.

6 Matters arising

6.1 Members asked that their congratulations be passed to the Registration Team in recognition of the hard work in the collection of fees and Register maintenance.

6.2 A member asked if the information on the Register pertinent to the employer was sent to the schools as well as the LEA. The Registrar responded that GTCW does distribute certain information to schools twice a year and to LEAs once a year, in order to help ensure that the Register maintained its accuracy.

6.3 A member asked how the registration fee would be collected for teachers who choose to register voluntarily. The Registrar responded that they would be receiving a mailing with a fees request in January.

6.4 Members agreed the draft timetable for the collection of registration fees in 2003, contained within the report.

Item 7 – Suitability Criteria For Registration (GTCW 28/02)

The Registrar introduced the report, providing members with an update in relation to the Council’s potential work in undertaking suitability checks as set out in the Education Act 2002. Members were asked to consider and discuss the matters set out in the report and to agree in principle the completion of a criminal records check as part of its future suitability criteria.

7 Matters arising.

7.1 Members asked what were the costs involved and whether thought had been given to who would pay for the criminal record check. Some members were concerned that it would involve an increase in the registration fee whilst others felt that NQTs only benefited from 7 months of a registration year and that the costs might be absorbed. The Chief Executive referred members on cost to minute 4.2.6 of the Registration Committee where various options and advantages/disadvantages of teacher or employer or Council payment had been raised. A more detailed paper on options would be presented to the December Council Meeting after consultation at the next Registration Committee.

7.2 In discussion, members raised the following key issues regarding suitability checks:

• whether the CRB checks would only apply to new registrants (Newly Qualified Teachers and returners to teaching). The Chief Executive confirmed that that was the case;
• whether trainee teachers be allowed to register with GTCW. It was reported that DCSF had circulated all ITET institutions asking them to undertake CRB checks on all new entrants to courses. The Education Act provided for a future category of provisional registration and this could bring trainee teachers under the Council’s disciplinary remit if this was introduced.

The Chairman drew members’ attention to a tabled National Assembly for Wales consultation paper regarding GTCW’s role in suitability for registration, noting that Council was asked to respond by 15th November. Members were asked to send in their comments to inform the Registration Committee’s discussion on 29th October. Council were asked to remit the Executive Committee to agree the response on 6 November. This was agreed.

7.3 Members agreed in principle the completion of a CRB check as part of future GTCW suitability checks.

Item 8 – CPD Dissemination (GTCW 29/02)

The Policy & Planning Officer introduced this report, providing a progress update on the work to disseminate the outcomes of the first phase of the CPD pilot projects.

8 Matters arising.

8.1 A member asked if the evaluation revealed any evidence of a lack of equal opportunities regarding CPD access (age, geography, gender) or whether some headteachers were putting up barriers to the uptake of CPD. The Policy & Planning Officer responded that there was only anecdotal evidence of this.

8.2 A member suggested that the Council work closely with LEAs to ensure equality of opportunities and to highlight the benefit of CPD to the employer. The Policy & Planning Officer responded that the Council does outline CPD information to the LEAs but is open to ideas as to how to extend this.

8.3 During discussion the following points were raised:

• It was acknowledged that headteachers have an important role in the promotion of CPD and, the that this would increase as Performance Management is implemented. Members asked whether they could help in getting this message across in their respective LEAs. The Policy & Planning Officer responded that GTCW had written to LEAs and to headteachers highlighting the importance of CPD and Performance Management.
• Members asked whether the Council had published the uptake of CPD region by region. The Chief Executive responded that the information was available as part of the Phase 1 evaluation report which was on the website.
• It was confirmed that an application form needed a headteacher’s agreement before it was accepted by the Council.

8.4 The name for the online CPD journal was agreed as ‘CPD Wales – DPP Cymru’.

Item 9 – GTCW Journal (GTCW 30/02)

The Chief Executive introduced this report outlining specific proposals for the GTCW journal made by the Executive Committee, as remitted by the Council, and which was now being presented to Council for information and agreement. Members were presented with a ‘mock-up’ of the journal to give an example of the size, possible content, and paper stock, along with details of frequency, costings and editing details, for agreement.

9 Matters arising

9.1 During discussion the following points were made:

• One member noted that the journal should carry a feedback slip. The Chief Executive replied that the journal would encourage teachers to contribute to future editions, and, at a later date, the inclusion of a letters page could be considered.
• One member suggested that a summary of the number of discipline cases heard by the Council be included once a year.
• Some members asked whether advertising could be considered to meet some of the costs of production. The Chief Executive responded that there were concerns over advertising because of data protection concerns regarding the registration database. The matter was referred to the Executive Committee and to officers to explore the legal position.

9.2 Members agreed the proposals.

Item 10 – Recruitment & Retention Progress Report (GTCW 31/02)

The Chief Executive presented the report, which provided members with an update in relation to the Council’s work on recruitment and retention, for information, and invited members to discuss issues based on:

• analysis of the recruitment and retention picture in Wales following the completion of the Recruitment and Retention survey.
• the existing information-gathering arrangements of the National Assembly
• the work being taken forward in partnership with other key agencies at a conference in late 2002 and the proposed ‘Action Plan for Recruitment and Retention in the Teaching Profession’ in early 2003.

10 Matters arising

• The Chairman encouraged members to take opportunities where they could to urge headteachers to complete and submit the GTCW survey forms.

10.1 No other matters were raised.

Item 11 – Teacher Workload and Bureaucracy (GTCW 32/02)

The Chief Executive presented the report, inviting members’ discussion on the Council’s role in relation to teacher workload and bureaucracy. Members were referred to the Policy Committee minutes for background information, in particular a discussion that took place, the key points of which were:

• excessive workload was one of the major contributory factors in recruitment and retention problems in schools;
• the Council should have a role in providing advice on workload, as this was a key factor for teachers and retaining teachers in schools;
• issues concerning behaviour management in schools;
• the professional status of teachers and how they were perceived by parents and members of the public;
• although the GTCW had no remit in terms of conditions of service, it was felt that the Council should accept that workload and bureaucracy were issues to be tackled and that the Council should actively engage in resolving the problems.

11 Matters arising

11.1 During discussion, the following points were raised:

• the Council should take a stance on the overloading of teachers with bureaucratic burdens. This point was reinforced by a number of members;
• the Council should raise the issue with Welsh Assembly Government, LEAs, Estyn and ACCAC;
• a member referred Council to the special grant made available to every school in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government to help alleviate administrative burdens, stating that this was insufficient, not regular and added to the workload by requesting survey information on its usage;
• bureaucracy was a negative factor to recruitment;
• hard evidence was needed to show that bureacracy was a hindrance to recruitment and retention of teachers;
• the ratio of administrative work to actual classroom teaching was demoralising;
• the issue of bureaucracy should be discussed in relation to the consultation on the ‘School of the Future’ by raising the issue of the ‘Profession of the Future’.
• a member suggested that the Council needed to start putting out some ‘hard hitting’ statements on recruitment, retention, workload and bureaucracy;
• teaching in the classroom needed to come first and the professional judgement of the teacher needed to be emphasised.

11.2 The Chairman suggested that much of the discussion on workload and bureaucracy could be fed into the ‘Action Plan for Recruitment and Retention in the Teaching Profession’, as well as feeding the subject more firmly into consultation responses and sharing these with other agencies.

11.3 A member asked whether the Chairman might be willing to make a public statement on the issue. The Chairman agreed that this could form the basis of an opinion article by him for the media.

11.4 The issue of workload and bureaucracy was referred back to Policy Committee to explore other ways of tackling the issue, with officers devising a strategy for presentation to that Committee.

11.6 Additionally it was agreed that the matter should be raised with the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, when she attended the December Council meeting.

Item 12 – Dates and venues for Council and Committee meetings 2003 (GTCW 33/02)

The Chief Executive presented the report, inviting members to agree the proposed calendar of Council and Committee meetings from January to December 2003, and to note the Executive Committee’s discussion on the location of future meetings.

12 Matters arising

12.1 The Chairman asked members to note that future locations would include inviting schools to host Council meetings via the GTCW journal.

12.2 The Council had been offered the use of the NASUWT venue in Cardiff, Members were asked if they were happy to accept, in principle, the offer of the facilities, and for them to be placed on the list for consideration along with other venues. Members agreed.

12.3 Members agreed the calendar of meetings from January to December 2003.

Item 13 – Assembly Policy Review ‘School of the Future’ (GTCW 34/02)

The Policy & Planning Officer presented the paper, providing members with information and an opportunity to provide views for the Council’s response to the National Assembly for Wales Education and Lifelong Learning Committee’s Policy Review on the ‘School of the Future’. The consultation document sought to “identify possible changes in the roles and operation of primary and secondary schools 10 to 15 years hence.”

13 Matters arising

13.1 During discussion the following points were raised:

• Members asked who would represent the Council on the Reference Group for the Review. The Chairman responded that Tim Cox and Gwen Williams’ names had been put forward.
• The remit of the review made little mention of the ‘profession of the future’.
• It was suggested that the Council should organise a seminar to take points of view on the ‘profession of the future’.

13.2 Further discussion was referred to Policy Committee.

13.3 Gwen Williams was invited to attend Policy Committee for discussion of the Policy Review.

Item 14 – ELWa National Funding System and Planning Framework For Post-16 Learning in Wales (GTCW 35/02)

The Policy & Planning Officer presented the paper, providing members with information and an opportunity to provide views for the Council’s response to the consultation by ELWa on the “Development of a National Funding System and Planning Framework for post-16 Learning in Wales (excluding Higher Education).

14 Matters arising

14.1 During discussion the following points were raised:

• The proposals presented short term funding solutions rather than long term funding as a result of a learner rather than institution-led model.
• The proposed funding model would lead to an increase in short term contracts at the expense of permanent or long term contracts.
• The proposals did not provide for, or reflect the circumstances of schools in particular the wider role of 6th form education.
• There were knock on effects for schools of implementing different funding systems for pre-16 and post-16.
• Education and training reflected different philosophies and the funding model reflected the latter.
• Members expressed concerns for the future of smaller sixth forms caused by the proposed funding model.
• The model appeared to be aimed at providing higher numbers of courses without regard for their quality.

14.2 The Chairman asked that any further comments be sent in to officers for inclusion in draft response for the Policy Committee.

14.3 The finalising of the Council’s response was referred to the Policy Committee.

Items 15, 16, 17 – For Information Items

The following papers were presented for information:

• Annual report and Audited Accounts, 2001-02 (GTCW 36/02)
• Quarterly Review (1 April – 30June 2002) (GTCW 37/02)
• Council Response to Consultation on GTCW draft regulations (GTCW 38/02)

Item 18 - Any Other Business

There were no other matters.

The meeting was declared closed