I AM writing in response to your two reports on the General Teaching Council (“Hold on to your hats!” and “GTC open for business at last”, TES, September 1).
On the question of fees and tax relief, in order for teachers to be able to claim tax relief for GTC subscriptions the GTC has to register with the Inland Revenue. We can only do this now that the council has been established. It is very likely that tax relief will be agreed and we will notify teachers of this.
We have received no complaints, as your article suggests, that teachers do not yet know wha the registration fee will be. No fee is required until October 2001, which gives the council a chance to talk to teachers and prove its worth before asking them to pay.
On the matter of our London location, I can confirm that staff and myself are very content to be working in King’s Cross, where rents are cheaper than in the West End, and where we are reminded daily of the challenges of poverty and drug abuse faced in schools.
Carol Adams
Chief executive
General Teaching Council for England
344-354 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1
