No-deal Brexit would end 'reciprocal recognition' of EU teachers

A no-deal Brexit would end the automatic recognition of European teaching qualifications and the sharing of details of sanctioned teachers between states, the government says.The Department for Education today said it is “intensifying and accelerating no deal planning” as the deadline for Britain to leave the European Union approaches without an agreement in place.Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the information made "worrying reading".The DfE guidance says: “In a no deal scenario, the current system of reciprocal recognition of professional qualifications between the EU, EEA, EFTA and Switzerland and the UK will not apply after 29 March 2019.”However, it says this would not affect those who have already had their qualifications recognised in the UK or have applied for a recognition decision before 29 March 2019.It adds: "There will be no retrospective change for people who have already had their EU, EEA EFTA and Swiss professional status and qualifications recognised and been awarded Qualified Teacher Status in England.” The DfE said it will publish details of a new system to allow teachers with EU EEA EFTA or Swiss qualifications to gain recognition after Brexit “shortly”.Mr Barton said: "Schools in the UK recruit a large number of EU nationals as teachers and this supply line is particularly important in terms of modern foreign languages where there are acute teacher shortages.