General Teaching Council: Proposal (Hansard, 6 July 1988)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Education and Science (Baroness Hooper)
My Lords, the Government have consistently made it clear that they are prepared to consider the case for a general teaching council in England and Wales but only on the basis of a specific proposal likely to command widespread support and serve the interests of relevant parties; that is, parents, pupils and employers as well as teachers.No such specific proposal has been received.

§ Lord Dormand of Easington
My Lords, I give a cautious welcome to that Answer.Does the Minister agree that a general teaching council would raise and maintain standards in the teaching profession, just as the General Medical Council and the Bar Council do in their professions?Does she not further agree that the two prerequisites of a successful general teaching council would be, first, that it should be a completely independent body; and secondly, that it must consist entirely of representatives of the teaching profession?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, as a solicitor and therefore a member of the Law Society, I recognise the value of this type of organisation.I recognise that teachers perform an important job.I am happy to take the opportunity of paying a tribute to teachers.We are convinced that the vast majority of teachers do an important job in a dedicated manner, sometimes in difficult circumstances.I should particularly like to pay tribute to the way in which they have coped with the introduction of the GCSE and to say that by introducing the national curriculum we hope we are providing them with another exciting challenge to their professional commitment.I recognise that teachers would find a useful role on a general teaching council and would use it as a vehicle.But, as I said in my original response, we believe that it must also serve the interests of the wider community.

§ Lord Beloff
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the proposal for a general teaching council was urged in 1973 upon Sir Keith Joseph, the then 250 Secretary of State, by a group of educationists all of whom were members of my noble friend's party with quite precise ideas as to how such a council might be constituted?When the Bill is through, if the Minister were to go back through the archives of the department she would not be able to say that no precise proposals were on the table.

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, as I understand it successive governments have received various proposals.The last formal proposal was contained in A Teaching Council for England and Wales, a report from the Weaver working party which was published in 1970.Unfortunately, as the proposal did not receive backing from all teaching unions, the government of the day took no further action.As regards any subsequent proposals which have been made, I understand that there has still not been wholehearted commitment from all the unions or all the parties concerned.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, does the Minister not agree that it is vital to restore the morale of the teaching profession at a time of great educational change and that a general teaching council might be a most constructive move in that direction?Would it not bring teachers collectively together to participate in the implementation of the new legislation?Can the noble Baroness also say why the Government are insisting that pupils should be involved in such a general teaching council—I think I heard her correctly—when the Government have resisted the participation of pupils even at sixth-form level in governing bodies?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I shall answer the last point first. I must emphasise that what I said is that we should like to ensure that it would serve the interests of the relevant parties. It is in that context that pupils will figure. As I have said, the Government will consider any specific proposals that are put forward. I do not believe that it would be helpful for the Government to be seen to be imposing a general teaching council. If it is to be successful, it must have the widespread support of the professionals and of the other parties concerned. I understand that not even the Opposition education spokesman in another place, who recently announced this idea as new party policy, wanted such a body to be imposed by statute.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, while I thank the Minister for what I take to be a sympathetic answer, would the Government, if one of the great foundations were to finance a pilot study into a general teaching council, give a fair wind to such a study or, at least, support it without necessarily imposing it?

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I am quite sure that the Government would be quite happy to give a fair wind to that, as indeed they did in the case of the Weaver working party which was in fact set up by government. It is true to say that a general teaching council could be set up in any event. But, obviously, it would he useful to have government recognition and support for such a project.

§ Lord Parry
My Lords, would not a splendid initiative be for the Government to invite the teacher unions to meet the Secretary of State to discuss the concept anew in view of the history of the matter and also of the fact that most teachers—whatever the institute in which they were trained—are conscious that their basic training is insufficient for the demands of the present day? They have been trying by way of in-service education and postgraduate courses through the Open University to improve their lot as teachers so as to be able to cope.

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, there are certain individuals in the country who are most keen on promoting this idea: one is Professor Ross of Lancaster University who is in touch with the department. The department is being kept fully informed of developments on that front. Certainly the various initiatives that the department is taking in relation to both initial training and in-service training are, I believe, evidence of the value which the department places on this matter and the importance which it must bear for the future of the teaching profession.

§ Lord Orr-Ewing
My Lords, if a teaching council was set up, can my noble friend say whether it would cover physical education and sporting activities? If pupils were taught to play cricket rather more efficiently in future in the schools, we might then not have to eat humble pie.

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I can see absolutely no reason why not.

§ Lord Annan
My Lords, if a teaching council were to be set up, could it perhaps address itself to the problem of how to teach mathematics from the ages of 16 to 18 to those who have no mathematical talent? It is most important that this should be done if we are to address ourselves to the problems which Continental countries have resolved.

§ Baroness Hooper
My Lords, I feel sure that the Government will bear that in mind when considering any possible specific proposal which may emerge.