The Education (Teachers' Qualifications and Health Standards) (Wales) Regulations 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations largely re-enact existing provisions in the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1993. They also introduce new provisions which tighten checks relating to the employment and qualifications of teachers.

The Regulations contain a variety of measures relating to the employment and qualifications of teachers in schools as well as changes resulting from the new school framework set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. They will:

• make provision for the staffing of maintained schools and certain further education institutions;

• require employers of teachers and certain other staff at maintained schools and further education institutions to be satisfied as to the health and physical and mental capacities of such staff;

• reflect the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995;

• provide for teachers employed in maintained schools to be qualified teachers, subject to some exception, and make special provision for teachers of hearing impaired, visually impaired and hearing and visually impaired pupils;

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• provide that a person who is a qualified teacher for the purposes of Regulations concerning teachers' qualification to be made in relation to England is to be treated equally as a qualified teacher in Wales.

The Regulations do not supersede the provisions in relation to barring contained in the 1993 Education (Teachers) Regulations 1993.