This document discusses the role and principles of Teaching Councils in motivating teachers through registration standards. It outlines that effective Teaching Councils (1) command respect, (2) are pivotal agencies for governments on teaching quality, and (3) enhance teacher professionalism by raising standards. The document also discusses using registration standards as a shield to ensure compliance with codes of ethics, a map to guide professional learning and development, and a lighthouse to promote the status of the teaching profession.

1. Motivating Teachers through
Registration Standards:
a shield, a map and a lighthouse
Dr Peter Lind
Registrar
UNESCO: International Task Force on Teachers

2. International Forum of Teacher
Regulatory Authorities (IFTRA)
Edinburgh 2005
Melbourne 2006
Cardiff 2009
Durban 2011
Toronto 2014
Dublin 2016
Representatives from Africa, Australia, Canada,
Europe, Jamaica, United Kingdom, United
States

3. Principles that distinguish Teaching
Councils
Teaching Councils work first and foremost for the common
good and in the public interest
Teaching Councils have an established statutory and legal
basis
Teaching Councils promote the teaching profession rather
than the interests of individual teachers
Teaching Councils promote professionally-led regulation

4. Effective Teaching Councils
Command the respect of the public and the
profession
Are the pivotal agency for governments on teaching
quality
Enhance teacher professionalism by raising
standards of practice, and improving initial and
continuing education
Maintain and make public an accurate register of
teachers’ qualification status and fitness to practise

5. The ultimate
guardians of
excellence are
not external
forces, but
internal
professional
responsibilities.
(Ramsden, 1992)

6. Right Touch Regulation
http://www.professionalstandards.org.uk
1. Identify the problem before the solution
2. Quantify and qualify the risks
3. Get as close to the problem as possible
4. Focus on the outcome
5. Use regulation only when necessary
6. Keep it simple
7. Check for unintended consequences
8. Review and respond to change

7. COMPLIANCE
• Required professional knowledge,
practices and relationships
• Standards against which teachers are
endorsed as competent
• A Code of Ethics that guides
professional practice

8. GUIDANCE
• Standards to guide the professional learning
and the assessment of teachers.
• Framework to guide career long professional
learning.

9. ASPIRATION
• To promote the status of the teaching
profession through raising awareness of the
complex nature of teachers' work.
• To strengthen public confidence in the
profession

10. Teaching
Qualification:
Graduating
teacher
standards
Induction into
the teaching
profession
Move from
graduate to
proficient
Framework for
career long
professional
learning and
development.
Common
language for
professional
reflection and
dialogue

11. INCREASED
INTERNATIONAL
MOBILITY
PROTECTED
NATIONAL
SYSTEM
Improved recognition and
transferability of
qualifications
Improved recognition and
transferability of professional
registration status
Comparability of
qualifications
Benchmarking of
professional status
Regional Qualifications
Frameworks
Regional Professional
Registration
National Qualifications
Frameworks
National Professional
registration

12. Mutual Recognition Arrangements
Established internationalised professions eg
accountancy, surveying, architecture, engineering
Promote information exchange and dialogue on
the education and training systems of the members.
Agreements entail international standards for
education & professional skills
Guidelines for assessing professional capabilities &
competence guidelines for the member
associations.
These standards are nonbinding and considered to
be “good practice”.