Among the many bizarre accusations hurled at the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) during its 11 years, Phil Delnon’s characterisation of it as a “politicians’ poodle” (Letters, 27 May) ranks as one of the least fair-minded.
As an evidential test, he might care to examine the main areas of the GTC’s policy advice - assessment, initial teacher training, induction, continuing professional development, innovation, standards, research, pedagogy, pupil participation and accountability - and identify those aspects of its policy statements which bear the stamp of “supine acquiescence”.
Mr Delnon’s charge of teachers’ indifference to the GTC is more soundly based. He illustrates it through his own ignorance of the GTC’s policy work and points to some of its causes, including the interest of the press in the racier aspects of the regulatory work.
Does he really believe this coverage will abate in future when public regulatory hearings are controlled by the secretary of state? And how can teaching in England sustain its claim to professionalism when practitioners are indifferent to ceding their control of its regulation to the Government?
Tony Neal, Chair of policy and research, GTC.