Call for more openness in candidate teacher checks
31 August 2012
A Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) survey of 36 education recruitment agencies has revealed that 75% believe more must be done to restore public confidence in teacher background checks.
A Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) survey of 36 education recruitment agencies has revealed that 75% believe more must be done to restore public confidence in teacher background checks. More than half (53%) also believe that current checks in place are not sufficient for recruiting teaching candidates from overseas.
Another concern for education recruiters is continuing confusion within schools about what information recruiters can share with them about a supply teacher's disclosure. Seventy-five per cent said it was not clear to schools what could be shared.
Even impending changes from autumn 2008 in vetting and barring procedures for teachers and others who work with children or vulnerable adults will not completely solve the problem, say education sector recruiters.
"There is still too much emphasis placed on agencies having to interpret some of the information, to distinguish between those [teachers] that are suitable and those that are not," said John Dunn, marketing and development director for the Vedior Education Recruitment Business (Verb) Group. Dunn is also the chairman of the REC's education sector group.
"Wherever there is interpretation, there's going to be disagreement. Nevertheless, I think it is a step in the right direction," Dunn said.
The survey was conducted in connection with the REC's efforts to raise awareness of its Quality Mark programme for teacher supply agencies. REC would like to see greater awareness within England's schools and local authorities of the scheme, which requires agencies to conduct a variety of rigorous checks on supply teacher candidates.
The Quality Mark programme, which was launched by the REC and the Department for Education and Skills in 2002, is currently only available in England but its use was extended to Wales in late March, REC officials say. However, at press deadlines, Welsh government authorities could not comment because of pre-election prohibitions.
Another concern for education recruiters is continuing confusion within schools about what information recruiters can share with them about a supply teacher's disclosure. Seventy-five per cent said it was not clear to schools what could be shared.
Even impending changes from autumn 2008 in vetting and barring procedures for teachers and others who work with children or vulnerable adults will not completely solve the problem, say education sector recruiters.
"There is still too much emphasis placed on agencies having to interpret some of the information, to distinguish between those [teachers] that are suitable and those that are not," said John Dunn, marketing and development director for the Vedior Education Recruitment Business (Verb) Group. Dunn is also the chairman of the REC's education sector group.
"Wherever there is interpretation, there's going to be disagreement. Nevertheless, I think it is a step in the right direction," Dunn said.
The survey was conducted in connection with the REC's efforts to raise awareness of its Quality Mark programme for teacher supply agencies. REC would like to see greater awareness within England's schools and local authorities of the scheme, which requires agencies to conduct a variety of rigorous checks on supply teacher candidates.
The Quality Mark programme, which was launched by the REC and the Department for Education and Skills in 2002, is currently only available in England but its use was extended to Wales in late March, REC officials say. However, at press deadlines, Welsh government authorities could not comment because of pre-election prohibitions.
