This book chronicles the history of the struggle to promote a self-governing body for the teaching profession from its early problems at the start of the twentieth century right through to the establishment of the General Teaching Council of England

The establishment of a General Teaching Council for England began in the 1840s by a group of private teachers who formed themselves into the College of Preceptors. Their intention was to set up a Teachers' Council similar to the General Medical Council in the medical profession. The aims of the Registration Movement were to ensure that the teaching profession should be a self-governing one designed to exercise control over entry to the profession, to maintain standards of discipline and to articulate a voice with an authority to represent the interests of teachers. This book chronicles the history of this struggle to promote a self-governing body for the teaching profession from its early problems at the start of the twentieth century right through to the establishment of the General Teaching Council of England in 2000. It also explores the interest groups and policy makers who impeded its achievement and the attitude of teacher unions and the teachers themselves to the establishment of such a body. The book will be of interest to academics, researchers and historians, as well as postgraduate students.

Introduction 1. The College of Preceptors 2. The Registration Bills and the Education Act 1899 3. The Teachers' Registration Council 1902-1907 4. The Teachers' Registration Council 1908-1928 5. The Royal Society of Teachers 6. The GTCS and
the GTCE 1965-2005 Conclusion