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Teachers: Complaints

Volume 494: debated on Wednesday 24 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many complaints against teachers have been (a) investigated, (b) upheld and (c) rejected by the General Teaching Council in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement. (281177)

The number of complaints against teachers that have been investigated upheld and rejected by the General Teaching Council for England in each year since 2005 are set out in the table.

Investigated

Rejected

Upheld at a hearing

2005

373

244

56

2006

360

267

98

2007

445

311

124

2008

419

315

125

Note:

Cases are not always concluded in the year in which they are investigated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) what the average time taken for the General Teaching Council to complete its investigation of a teacher following a complaint was in the latest period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement; (281178)

(2) how many investigations by the General Teaching Council following a complaint against a teacher took more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) 12 months and (d) 18 months to complete in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

When considering complaints about teachers the General Teaching Council for England has two distinct processes; an investigation process and a hearing process. The investigation process concludes either with a referral to the hearing process or with a decision that there is no case to answer.

The average time taken for cases to be concluded in each of these processes is provided in the following table.

Average time taken to conclude complaints

Weeks

Financial year

Cases concluded at investigation stage (i.e. no case to answer)

Cases concluded following a hearing

2006/07

13

78

2007/08

12

67

2008/09

12

59

The timescales for considering complaints at each of these stages is set out in the following tables.

Cases concluded at investigating stage

Months

0 to 3

3 to 6

6 to 12

12 to 18

Over 18

2006/07

171

62

16

1

2

2007/08

224

59

13

4

0

2008/09

222

84

11

2

3

Cases concluded at hearing stage

Months

0 to 3

3 to 6

6 to 12

12 to 18

Over 18

2006/07

0

0

11

68

44

2007/08

0

2

57

38

40

2008/09

0

1

75

51

24

Note:

Data are unavailable for the financial year 2005/06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers have been struck off the teaching register following an investigation by the General Teaching Council in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. (281180)

The number of prohibition orders preventing teachers from practising as a registered teacher issued by the General Teaching Council for England in each year since 2001 is set out in the table.

Number of prohibition orders issued

2001

0

2002

2

2003

6

2004

5

2005

13

2006

24

2007

31

2008

25