The General Teaching Council for Wales (Disciplinary Functions) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the General Teaching Council for Wales (Disciplinary Functions) Regulations 2001 ('the 2001 Regulations'). The 2001 Regulations make provision with respect to the disciplinary functions of the General Teaching Council for Wales, a body corporate established under the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 with the aims of contributing to improving the standards of teaching and the quality of learning and maintaining and improving the standards of professional conduct amongst teachers in the public interest.

Regulation 8 of the 2001 Regulations is amended so as to provide that the Committee dealing with a case against a Council Member must not include another Council Member and to provide for the quorum for a meeting of such a Committee.

Regulation 9 of the 2001 Regulations is amended so as to refer to the new powers of direction in the Education Act 2002 and so as to refer to the Education (Supply of Information) (Wales) Regulations 2003.

The Education Act 2002 introduces a power for the General Teaching Council for Wales to attach conditions to any suspension orders it makes following disciplinary proceedings against a registered teacher. These Regulations amend the 2001 Regulations so as to require a suspension order to record any conditions to be complied with by a teacher, and to require a Committee to include in the notice of the disciplinary order served on a teacher an explanation of the right to apply to vary or revoke a condition, and how to do so. Provision is also made in relation to the method of application to vary or revoke conditions, and how such applications will be dealt with.

These Regulations also add a supply agency where relevant, to those who are required to be served with a notice of a disciplinary order.