I am writing to all the parties’ education spokespeople to reiterate the NUT’s opposition to the licence to practise and to urge them to reject the proposal in the deliberations on the Children, Schools and Families Bill after the Easter recess.

The proposal is deeply unpopular among NUT members and in the teaching profession more widely. More than 25,000 teachers have returned the NUT’s “no to licence to practise” campaign postcard or signed our online petition.

Teachers view a licence to practise as another unnecessary hurdle before they can teach. Before starting their career, they go through a rigorous qualification process and a year’s induction. During it, they are subject to a range of monitoring and evaluation procedures including inspections and performance management, to which their salaries are, of course, linked.

Christine Blower, General secretary, NUT, London.