The Education Act 2002 (Commencement No. 10 and Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Order 2006

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force (on 31 May 2006), in relation to Wales, the provisions of Schedule 12 to the Education Act 2002 specified in the Schedule to the Order. Schedule 12 amends sections 3 and 4 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998. Those sections apply to the General Teaching Council for England and, by virtue of section 9 of that Act, to the General Teaching Council for Wales. The main effect of the amendments brought into force by this Order is that the General Teaching Council for Wales, when considering an application for registration, will be able to reject the application if it is not satisfied as to the applicants suitability to be a teacher. The provisions brought into force also–

• confer on the National Assembly for Wales the power to make regulations providing that any prescribed description of person is, or is not, to be taken to be suitable to be a teacher;

• enable such regulations to provide for applicants for registration with the General Teaching Council for Wales whose applications are rejected on the new suitability ground to have a right of appeal against the Council's decision;

• enable such regulations to provide for applicants for registration with the General Teaching Council for Wales to be notified of the Council's decision and of their right to appeal.