Teaching: Eight resign from General Teaching Council in one week

A troubled teaching body charged with regulating standards has been hit by eight resignations this week.

The General Teaching Council Northern Ireland (GTCNI) is a 33-strong body which registers teachers and is responsible for professional standards.

The council has been put in "special measures" by the Department of Education.

It is also facing series of industrial tribunals and 112 whistleblowing complaints have been made.

The resignations came to light as MLAs on Stormont's Education Committee took evidence about the work of the council which is currently being reviewed by the department.

Mr Sam Gallaher, the council's chief executive, was asked why eight people had resigned this week.

Sam Gallaher outlined fundamental problems with how the council operates

He said it was because they had concerns about the "functioning of the council".

Earlier, the chair of the GTCNI, Brendan Morgan, detailed how difficult personal relationships were.

He told MLAs that some members of the council refused to recognise his authority as chair of the council and he told MLAs that others refused to communicate with him and the vice chair.

'Ineffectual' meetings

Mr Gallaher was also quizzed about the day-to-day running of the council and the relationships between members.

He told MLAS that the body does "not meet regularly" and everything is done on email.

Asked by Sinn Féin MLA Nicola Brogan how he works with the current chair and vice chair he said: "The relationship that currently exists, and has existed since the beginning of 2020, is not what I envisage a proper working relationship between a chair and the executive should be."

He added that he tried to do his job but said there were very "difficult circumstances" and that meetings had been "ineffectual".

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The MLAs reacted with concern over the workings of the council.

Education Committee chair and Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle said "urgent action" was now needed to look at the work and role of the body.

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said he was "annoyed and upset" by the reports about difficulties with the GTCNI and he asked "what the hell is going on?".

His party colleague, West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan, described the situation as a "shambles" and he wondered if the teaching council was in fact "beyond repair".

DUP MLA William Humphrey said it was clear "this organisation has been dysfunctional for some time" and the UUP MLA Robbie Butler wanted to know what the cost of the "dysfunctionality" to the taxpayer would be.

Brendan Morgan said better measures were needed to safeguard children

The GTCNI Chair Brendan Morgan also told assembly members that he had major concerns over the risk to children and young people.

He said his body can vet teachers, but can not take them off the register.

He told MLAS "no professional can guarantee the safeguarding of children by the mechanisms in place in GTCNI, because we cannot remove teachers from the register".

He said "legislation needs to be put in place" and he called for help from politicians.

Sinn Féin's Pat Sheehan said there had been "very disturbing evidence" about the risks to safeguarding children.