WIREDGOV

Education Minister Huw Lewis has described how professional registration of the education workforce will improve standards and raise the status of the profession.

The Education Workforce Council (EWC), established on 1 April 2015 saw a new requirement for all Further Education (FE) teachers to professionally register. From 1 April 2016, professional registration will be widened further to include both school and FE based Learning Support Workers.

In July 2014, the Welsh Government ran a 12 week consultation seeking views on three proposals for the registration fee. The three proposed fee models were developed with three key principles in mind; sustainability, proportionality and cost effectiveness.

The Welsh Government had initially proposed to redistribute the element of funding that is currently provided to Local Authorities in Wales to subsidise school teachers’ registration fees, to the EWC.

However, without the necessary amendment to the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document, which remains non-devolved, this will instead be achieved through the actual fee that school teachers pay, in order to off-set against the greater subsidy of £33 that they will retain. This will help meet the costs of registration for the wider workforce.

Huw Lewis said:

“The registration of the wider educational workforce is good news for parents, learners, employers and the general public. It provides reassurance that teaching staff are deemed suitable for registration; appropriately trained and qualified”.

“Registration enhances the status of all of our education professionals and recognises that they play a vital and valued role in supporting teaching and learning.

“Education practitioners will benefit from the support and recognition of a professional body that upholds professional standards and monitors the registration, qualification and professional development of its members.

“As with other professional bodies there will be a fee associated with registration. We consulted widely and in depth and we believe that fee levels under the proposed model compare favourably with many other professions which the public rely upon.

“We are determined to raise the standards of teaching and learning in Wales. Registration of the education workforce will play a key role in achieving this and help improve the overall quality of education our young people receive."

Further information on professional registration, registration fees and the New Deal for the Education Workforce can be found on: www.learning.gov.wales