Byers: Tough on bad teachers

Worst Teachers 'Could be Ousted Within a Month'

The Schools Standards Minister, Stephen Byers, indicated support for the new procedures for teachers who can't control a class when he spoke privately to Labour councillors at the Council for Local Education Authorities conference in Bristol.

In a letter to Graham Lane, education chairman of the Local Government Association, Mr Byers said he would be "happy to consider" giving LEAs an "enhanced role" in disciplinary procedures.

The Government is already consulting LEA's and teaching unions about a fast track procedure to get rid of incompetent teachers. In his letter the minister agreed that the aim should be to remove "unsatisfactory" teachers within 6 months - compared to the current 18 months or more at present.

He also indicated support for the LGA's proposed new charge of "gross incompetence" which might be applied to teachers who showed themselves totally unable to control a class. Mr Lane said he hoped such teachers could be removed within a month.

But teachers' leaders say they're extremely uneasy about the idea. Eamonn O'Kane, deputy secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers said: "How do you define gross incompetence? Teachers don't just become incompetent overnight. There may be an element of breakdown , and that is not something which should be handled through competence procedures."

Mr Lane said the LGA wanted to see local authorities - rather than school governors - should have the power to institute proceedings against heads who refuse to act against incompetent teachers: "The school's governing body really cannot be the body that gets rids of bad head teachers. It is not appropriate, because they work so closely with them."