Why GTCS Registration?

The College Lecturer Registration Working Group (‘CLRWG’) is the cross-sector group set up to establish requirements and pathways for college lecturers to register with and be regulated by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

These videos from Larry Flanagan, our General Secretary, and our partners in this process explain why GTCS registration is key to acknowledging the professionalism of lecturers and their ongoing commitment to, and right to engage in, professional learning.

EIS General Secretary, Larry Flanagan

GTCS Chief Executive and Registrar, Dr Pauline Stephen

Chief Exective Colleges Scotland, Shona Struthers 

GTCS registration flows from the NJNC May and November 2017 Agreements, the National Working Practices Agreement (‘NWPA’) and NJNC Circulars 03/18 and 03/19.  Section 13 of the NWPA clearly states that ‘lecturing staff will require professional registration with the General Teaching Council (Scotland) (GTCS)’.

With this joint commitment to GTCS registration grounded in contract, EIS-FELA believes that the professionalism of college lecturers is now being formally recognised for the first time. 

For too long the pivotal role which college lecturers play in our education system has gone unnoticed. Supporting learners with a diverse range of needs, lecturers work tirelessly, seeking to bridge the attainment gap and enable their students to access further and higher education and equip them with the skills to take up employment opportunities. 

Professionalism and collegiality, underpinned by professional registration with GTCS, frames the context in which this high-quality learning and teaching can continue to be delivered in our colleges. 

With GTCS now holding the College Lecturers’ Professional Standards, registration also affords the opportunity for lecturers to engage in meaningful professional learning and to reflect on the value of that learning through relevant professional dialogue and PRD processes. 

Registration is the vehicle through which the voices of college lecturers can be heard in shaping their professional identity and framing their own professional standards. 

For more on the benefits of registration visit the FAQ section of our website and on the GTCS website.