TEACHERS IN ACADEMIES

Early day motion 731, tabled 21 February 2005 by Kerry Pollard (Labour). Signed by 66 members.

That this House notes with concern that teachers working in the new independently-managed academies will not be required to register with the General Teaching Council (GTC); believes that professional regulation gives parents in the maintained sector the reassurance that teachers are qualified and subject to a properly exercised model of accountability for their conduct and competence; recognises that parents whose children attend academies are not opting out of the safeguards offered by registration with the GTC but are simply choosing the local school they believe will best meet their child's needs; further believes that the public interest demands that GTC registration should be a requirement for qualified teachers working in academies as it is for teachers in other publicly-funded education; and calls upon the Government to bring teachers in academies within the scope of mandatory regulation through registration with the GTC.

Signatures by party: Labour 46, Liberal Democrat 10, Labour/Co-operative 6, DUP 2, Conservative 1, Plaid Cymru 1.