The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) is the independent professional body which maintains and enhances teaching standards and promotes and regulates the teaching profession in Scotland.
Established in 1965, GTC Scotland was the first such professional body for teaching and teachers in the United Kingdom and one of the first teaching councils in the world.
The legislation that established GTC Scotland in 1965 was replaced by The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011 (the Order) which passed into law in March 2011. GTC Scotland has always been financially independent, being funded by teachers and not from the public purse.
On 2 April 2012 the Order conferred independent status on GTC Scotland, with enhanced powers and greater flexibility of operation. As a result GTC Scotland became the world's first independent, self-regulating professional body for teaching.