Teacher Morale (Hansard, 22 February 1999)

§ Mr. Hain

Teaching is a demanding and vitally important profession. Our White Paper "Building Excellent Schools Together" (Cm 3701) acknowledged, however, that teachers' professionalism had been disdained all too often over the last decade; that morale had been badly damaged; and that this had to stop.

We have recently published our Green Paper "The Best for Teaching and Learning In Wales" on the future of the teaching profession in Wales. The Green Paper offers fundamental reform and the opportunity to give teachers the recognition and support they deserve. In return for a newly enhanced professionalism, greater individual accountability, more flexibility and still higher standards, its proposals set out measures that would offer teachers higher status, better prospects, a more rewarding career structure, less bureaucracy and more freedom to teach. We are undertaking a widespread consultation with all interested parties on these proposals

We have also undertaken to establish a General Teaching Council for Wales to maintain high professional standards in Wales and promote a positive image of teaching both within the teaching profession and to those outside.

Following the transfer of functions, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.