Plans to update classroom standards by monitoring how effectively teachers update their skills are underway in Scotland.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) has recently published a consultation for a "professional update" every five years. The move would ensure teachers will maintain their skills and understanding through training, which will be seen as a "helpful process", rather than a "test of competence", the Herald Scotland reports.

"Professional update is a positive development that aims to support teachers to identify their developmental needs and to take advantage of available training to maintain and improve their professional skills," Anthony Finn, Chief Executive of the GTCS, stated: "It is not a mechanism to test teachers, it is not an MoT and it does not aim to weed out supposedly bad teachers."

Larry Flanagan, Education Convener of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) commented on the plans, stating: "We will continue to engage constructively with the GTCS regarding proposals for professional update, while also continuing to emphasise our opposition to any suggestion of a system of re-accreditation for teachers."

John Stodter, General Secretary of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), added: "Most teachers have a long career and, for some, that can mean they lose their professional edge. In that situation, keeping abreast of new ideas and developments by having a formal system of professional update can avoid jaded teacher syndrome."

The update plan is one of a series of changes taking place within Scottish education. Recently, the GTCS announced plans to speed up the dismissal process for underperforming teachers, whilst last week the Government decided to scrap the Superteacher scheme, introduced in 2001 to give teachers an incentive to improve their skills rather than "treading water" until retirement.

To read these stories in full, try these links:

• Consultation underway to speed up teaching dismissal process
• Scottish Government axes 'Superteacher' scheme

If you are concerned over recent changes in education or are feeling stressed or worried as a result, try these links:

• How do you deal with change?
• Responding positively to change
• Inspection concerns
• Stress