'Proposed 18% rise in GTC fee is totally unjustified', say NASUWT

25 January 2010

At its meeting on 26 January 2010 the General Teaching Council for England will consider increasing its registration fee by £6 from £33 to £39.

Chris Keates, general secretary of NASUWT, the largest teachers union, said:

"Many teachers will be angered by the GTC's further attempt to increase its fee.

"When the Council tried to do this before, there was a massive negative response from the profession.

"The GTC clearly has yet to come to terms with the fact that until teachers are convinced it performs some useful function, any proposals to increase its fees will meet resistance

If the GTC concentrated on its regulatory function, which has the potential to make a major contribution to raising the status of the profession, rather than persisting in engaging in a whole range of costly activities which in our view largely duplicate the work of other bodies, including the Training and Development Agency and the DCSF, there would be no need to seek this increase.

"The GTC spends millions of pounds on focus groups, networks, publicity, parliamentary consultancy, sponsorship, seminars and conferences which add little value to the professional lives and practise of the vast majority of teachers.

"Over £1 million is spent on a white elephant of a magazine which most teachers bin without reading. Approximately £3million is spent on a teacher learning academy, which if it is needed at all should not be a GTC function or priority. Abandoning these activities would more than cover the proposed £6 rise.

"There is no justification for increasing the financial burden on teachers. The GTC should pare back its activities in line with available funds.

"At a time when schools, local authorities, the DCSF and its agencies are all looking for efficiency savings, why does the GTC believe it is exempt?

"The NASUWT will make every effort to resist this increase and will continue to press for a review of the GTC's remit to curtail activities outside its regulatory function.

"If the proposal is supported at the Council meeting, the NASUWT will write to the secretary of state urging him to reject the GTC's request."

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