HC Deb 10 December 1997 vol 302 c552W
Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if teachers working in the independent sector will be required to register with the appropriate general teaching council. [19851]

Mr. Byers

It will be open to teachers in independent schools who have Qualified Teacher Status to choose to register with the GTC but they will not be required to do so for the purposes of continued employment.

Mr. Willis

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in what circumstances(a) non-practising teachers and (b) retired teachers will be allowed to register with the GTC; and how he proposes to collect their fees. [19849]

Mr. Byers

Retired or non-practising teachers will be free to choose to register with the GTC, provided they have Qualified Teacher Status, but will not be required to do so. We shall look to the GTC, when established, to decide how their registration fees will be collected.