School teacher misconduct investigations need revamp – report

An independent review has highlighted the urgent need for an overhaul of the teacher complaints system in Scotland. The report scrutinized the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and identified issues with the length and quality of misconduct investigations conducted by the regulator. The Professional Standards Authority (PSA), responsible for the review, recommended that the GTCS expedite its “fitness to teach” process and be granted more effective public protection powers.

The GTCS, which oversees the registration of around 80,000 teachers, does not investigate every complaint it receives. Complaints are evaluated based on their impact on an individual’s fitness to teach, with most cases initially falling under the jurisdiction of employers, such as local authorities. The PSA report raised concerns about inconsistency in the quality of employer investigations and the lack of oversight by the GTCS, potentially exposing gaps in public protection.

BBC Scotland News previously reported on prolonged backlogs of misconduct cases involving teachers, prompting concerns about inadequate investigations. The PSA review underlined the need for swifter resolution of fitness to teach cases and recommended empowering the GTCS with suspension and removal powers for teachers facing serious allegations. Criticism was also directed at the GTCS’s practice of closing cases based on arbitrary time limits, which the report deemed unnecessary and unhelpful.

Education advisor Neil McLennan, part of a group petitioning MSPs for an inquiry into public bodies’ handling of child safeguarding concerns, condemned the GTCS for failing to prioritize public protection over its own reputation. Calling for resignations of senior officials responsible for dismissing legitimate concerns, McLennan demanded independent investigations into mishandled cases reported by the media. Despite the criticism, the GTCS emphasized its commitment to improving public protection and collaborating with partners to address the shortcomings identified in the review

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