Fitness to teach
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Teachers, and those training to become teachers, need a sufficient standard of health and physical fitness to enter or remain in the teaching profession. Teaching is a demanding yet rewarding career and teachers have a duty of care for pupils in their charge. The health, education, safety and welfare of pupils are important in deciding on an individual's health and physical capacity to train and subsequently to teach.
A local authority or governing body must not appoint anyone to, or continue to employ them in, a relevant activity unless he or she has the health and physical capacity for such employment.
Teachers may not be appointed to relevant activities as prescribed in The Education (Health Standards) Regulations while they are receiving any ill-health retirement benefits from the Teachers' Pensions Agency awarded after 31 March 1997, on the grounds of their permanent incapacity to teach. However, teachers who are in receipt of ill-health retirement benefits awarded prior to 1 April 1997 may be allowed to undertake some limited part-time re-employment without automatic cessation of pension benefits, provided, of course, they have the necessary health and physical capacity for that employment. Significant and/or long-term employment may call into question the individual's entitlement to the continued payment of ill-health retirement benefits.
In making decisions about medical fitness, employers must adhere to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
Fitness to teach is one of the checks required as part of Safer Recruitment for teaching
staff.
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