Private school teachers will be subject to the same strict code of conduct as their state colleagues under plans put forward by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE). The council is pressing the case for all those in the independent sector, who are exempt from registration, to sign up with the organisation. Currently, just 9,000 teachers — from a total of more than 45,000 working in private schools — are on GTCEs register voluntarily. This means four out of five are not answerable to external regulation if they are accused of incompetence or unprofessional behaviour. Keith Bartley, chief executive of the council, has met four private school associations representing almost 1,000 schools. He says registration would give schools a quality assurance mark.State school teachers are already governed by GTCEs rules. The council has the power to reprimand and even strike off registered teachers guilty of professional misconduct or incompetence. It also provides members with training support. Says Alan Meyrick, the councils registrar: Professional registration has clear benefits for teachers, schools, pupils and to the wider public interest, no matter where teachers work. Our current legislative remit focuses on the state sector, but we welcome and advocate registration for the independent sector as a rounded model of quality assurance and professional support.
The independent sector has been increasingly courted by government in recent years, but remains a fierce opponent of the creeping regulation of its schools. Comments David Hanson, the chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools: GTCE came to try and persuade me of the benefits of making registration compulsory. I think some of our schools see it as a quality mark, but many are not persuaded. At the moment its role is seen as policing the profession, not helping it.
In 2008, more than 2,100 teachers moved from the state sector to private schools, while almost 600 transferred the other way. There are also increasing links between staff in the two sectors — through academy sponsorship and other partnerships. GTCE spokespersons say it is not seeking legislative changes needed to make the registration of private school teachers compulsory. But John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, says private school teachers should be forced to register to stop unsuitable staff transferring into the state system without the schools knowledge. There is every logic in all teachers in the private sector being required to sign up, says Bangs. They should be subject to the same kinds of controls.

(Excerpted and adapted from The Times Education Supplement)