Monday, June 07, 2010

Poor Old GTC

I go away for one week and look what happens? They get rid of the General Teaching Council!

How will we cope without this erstwhile body who diligently copied out a list of every teacher's name and birthday each year without fail. As there are over 450 000 of us in the state sector plus a few from private schools who were daft enough to register, this was no mean feat. No wonder we had to pay £36 a year to join. Good job the Unions took a strong stand on that one.

As if that wasn't enough; BECTA, who told us where we could buy computers and the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (who make sure that all the exams are equally easy) have also been axed. Who knows what useless organisation will be next; even Skills Development Scotland is worried. My advice is rebrand quickly (at great expense) and get a few key words in your name. No group with 'Diversity' or 'Outreach' in its title need have any fear, I suspect.

My life will seem empty without the GTC magazine though.

6 comments:

Dack said...

Huzzah! It took them years to get any money out of me, plus personal letters pleading their importance from that C4 Lord bloke (name escapes me at the mo') and Tim Brigshaw, and threats of removing my 'license to teach'. The medical profession get the Lancet, and we got happy-clappy 'whoopee! Teaching refugees is so rewarding' claptrap. I got to the point where I was writing 'B*LL*CKS' on the mags in my big red board pen and sending them back. Good riddance indeed.

The TEFL Tradesman said...

Gutted.

Anonymous said...

Is there no independent professional association for teachers, along the lines of, say, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers? A body not susceptible to being abolished by the government?

I was under the impression that's what the GTC was. Is teaching no longer a profession? Was it ever?

TinaTurnerFan said...

If you walk down any high street, or go to any out of town shopping centre, there are lots of shops that will sell you computers.

There you go - can I have 1/2 million pounds a year off the government?

FrankC said...

Sorry Frank, but having "Outreach" or "Diversity" in your job title means "Start polishing your CV now".

FrankC(not Chalk)

Torbon Nipolag said...

Never even looked at the magazine etc. All letters etc. from the GTC went straight in the staff room bin, unopened.
Can I have my money back?
Now, all they need to do is to get rid of all the hangers-on at Ofsted. In fact, get rid of everything beginning with Of. That'll save a few billion.