Teachers Need To Revalidate

As a teacher you are constantly having to prove yourself. That’s no different from almost every type of job.

But what is different is the concept of revalidation.

If you are a registered nurse, nursing associate or midwife then the demands are high because “you need to revalidate with the Nursing and Midwifery Council every three years so you can remain fit to practise throughout your career.”

Teachers don’t have to do that.

You can happily swim along for over three years but whether you are fit to practise is quite another thing. Many are but there will always be some that slip through the net.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) have got it right. They take revalidation seriously because they need to know that staff are fit to do the job safely and effectively.

Revalidation was introduced by the NMC in 2016 to increase public confidence in nursing and midwifery by promoting a culture of professionalism and accountability.

The requirements are high and plenty of evidence is needed in order to promote and engender a culture of sharing, reflection and improvement.

Here’s what’s needed:

• 450 practice hours or 900 hours if revalidating as both nurse and midwife
• 35 hours of continuing professional development
• Five pieces of practice-related feedback
• Five written reflective accounts
• Reflective discussion
• Health and character declaration
• Professional indemnity arrangement
• Confirmation

But there is plenty of support at hand and nurses are not left to flounder and fizzle out.

Why aren’t teachers doing this every three years to the same level of professionalism?

Revalidation is an essential process for every profession so that those we trust are required to demonstrate on a regular basis that they are up to date and fit to practise in their chosen field and able to provide a good level of care.

The teaching profession should therefore develop “its own system of post initial teacher training qualifications, continuous professional development (CPD) obligations and revalidation or recertification processes.”

Revalidation every three years for teachers would be a force for good as it would genuinely encourage and support the profession to reflect on its practice and ensure that only competent teachers were in the classroom.