GTCW Condemns WAG Decision To End Individual CPD

Yn disgwyl cael ei gyfieithu

Statement from General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) in reaction to the Welsh Assembly Government announcement that it plans to end the individually-focused Continuing Professional Development fund for teachers

Gary Brace, chief executive of GTCW, said: “The budget cuts announced by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) are a massive blow to the education sector in Wales.

“Teachers are our most valuable resource. They are responsible for engaging and inspiring our youngsters and in order to be able to do this, it is essential that they are not only qualified, but well supported and developed.

“The Continuing Professional Development programme, which we have administered for WAG for the last nine years, has been a highly successful approach to ongoing training and development that was unique to Wales. Since it started, WAG  has invested more than £26 million through it and more than 30,000 teachers have benefitted.

“We understand that difficult decisions need to be made by WAG regarding budgets and whilst we fully support the Assembly’s flagship education policies, teachers are the one resource that can make them a success or otherwise. Cutting funding for continuing professional development is a retrograde step..

Sue Davies, headteacher of Cynffig Comprehensive, Bridgend condemned the decision. “The consequences will be far reaching. WAG clearly has not realised  a large number of teachers developing their middle leadership skills are funded through this programme. I expect there to be an outcry”.

Mal Davies, chairman of GTCW and head of Willows High School, said: “There is a broad acceptance that CPD funding should not only meet central / local government and school priorities but also the individual professional needs of teachers.

“This would now seem to be in jeopardy in that the Assembly Government’s decision removes a ring-fenced budget for individual teacher professional needs but does not appear to transfer the funding pot to anyone else. This gives me grave cause for concern.”