There are occasions when the perception by the public, particularly with the introduction of Charter Schools, may be unclear as to whether the titles being used by individuals means that person is adequately qualified for them to have confidence in their professional judgement and practice.

Clarity around the use of the title of teacher is essential in order to avoid any misunderstanding by the public about the qualifications, registration status and professional oversight by the persons using the title of teacher.

The intent of this Bill is to lift the status of teachers by removing the ability of those who have not gained the qualifications above from representing themselves as “teachers” by using that title. With several amendments to the Education Act 1989 over recent years it is now possible to have individuals standing in front of our students who have no recognised teaching qualification – therefore they should not be able to use the title of teacher.

They may use other titles such as educator, lecturer, tutor, or whatever but the title of teacher must be restricted to those who have completed recognised qualifications. This will also provide a clear message for parents that the individual standing in front of their student has in fact trained and completed that training as a “teacher”.