Bid to ban church members from Scots teaching council

James Forbes claims that teachers are consistently shocked on discovering that church members of the General Teaching Council for Scotland could have influence over their ability to practise.

Forbes, himself a nine-year veteran of the council, is now set to submit a petition to politicians ahead of the Scottish Government's reform of the GTC this year.

The Lasswade High School Centre modern languages teacher is urging educators to join him in calling for an end to religious influence on the council.

However, the move has sparked anger from the Church of Scotland, who along with the Catholic Church in Scotland, have Scottish Government-appointed representatives on the council's committees.

In the petition to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Forbes wrote: "It seems to me that the majority of teachers in Scotland think that churches sit on the GTC solely to judge the suitability of teachers to teach in denominational schools. This assumption is erroneous.

"I have discussed this issue on many occasions with my electorate. On each occasion (without exception) teachers have expressed surprise that a church could have a say on their suitability to teach.

"A teacher who, for reasons of conscience, is neither a Presbyterian (of the Church of Scotland) nor a Roman Catholic and who has always sought employment in non-denominational state schools, can be judged and possibly struck off on the casting vote of an organisation whose influence he or she has always sought peacefully to avoid."

Ewan Aitken, secretary of the Church and Society Council at the Church of Scotland, said that Mr Forbes' description of the council was misleading. He said: "The GTC was the first institution of its kind in the world and we were part of the movement that founded the GTC in the 1960s. Now our position on the council is being seen as a bad thing. We know the difference between bringing extensive experience and evangelism."

The GTC reforms will see the 50 seats cut to 37, with 19 seats reserved for elected teachers, seven seats for Ministerial nominations, three seats for local government employers, one seat for Colleges of Further Education, one seat for the Scottish Council for Independent Schools, three seats for universities, one seat for the Church of Scotland, one seat for the Roman Catholic Church and one seat for the National Parents Forum.

Mr Forbes will submit the motion to the parliament's committee in mid-October.

A Scottish Government education spokesman said: "It is perfectly appropriate for the churches to continue to have a voice on the General Teaching Council for Scotland."