GTCS Accreditation Process and Requirements Review Consultation March 2026
The CLD Standards Council welcomed the opportunity to respond to the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s Accreditation Process and Requirements Review Consultation, which aims to update and streamline the framework governing accreditation of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Teaching Qualification in Further Education (TQFE) programmes.
The consultation recognises the significant evolution of Scotland’s educational landscape since GTCS assumed formal accreditation responsibility in 2012, including expansion of provider types and the legal requirement for college lecturers to register with GTCS.
We see this review as a vital opportunity to strengthen coherence, equity and professionalism across Scotland’s wider education system. As Scotland advances through a period of significant educational reform, it is essential that accreditation arrangements fully recognise the breadth of the education workforce and the distinctive contribution of Community Learning and Development. In our response we urge GTCS to embed principles, processes and expectations that reflect the diverse contexts in which learning takes place, and to align accreditation with national professional frameworks that already underpin high quality practice across sectors. Through continued collaboration, shared values and a commitment to sector wide coherence, Scotland can build an accreditation system, for an education workforce, that is fair, future focused, and reflective of the collective professionalism that supports learners, families and communities.