Stephen Byers: Ready to sack teachers who are found wanting

Warning to Incompetent Teachers

"Grossly incompetent teachers should be removed from the classroom and their cases dealt with in weeks rather than months," the Schools Standards Minister, Stephen Byers, told the Commons.

"A grossly incompetent pilot would not be allowed to remain in the cockpit of a plane, a grossly incompetent surgeon would not remain in the operating theatre," he stressed.

"Teachers should not be treated differently. A grossly incompetent teacher should not be allowed to remain in the classroom adversely affecting the life chances of the children for which they have responsibility," said Mr Byers.

Mr Byers said the new category of "gross incompetence," covered by the fast track procedure, would include teachers unable to control classes. There would be training for teachers who were incompetent and if that failed they were to be removed from schools.

Under current arrangements there are five separate stages involved in disciplining incompetents, ranging from initial warnings to disciplinary hearings which can take 18 months.

Mr Byers confirmed that the Government would next week overturn a defeat in the House of Lords which would allow Assisted Places pupils at private prep schools to stay on until the normal leaving age of 13, instead of 11.

Voting was 127 to 90, a majority of 37, during a report stage debate on the Education (Schools) Bill, which aims to phase out the scheme over the next seven years, using the money saved to reduce infant class sizes in the state sector.

Mr Byers said the defeat would not have happened but for the votes of hereditary peers and said this was a "classic example of privilege defending privilege".