24-25/23

I write with reference to your request for information dated 17 July 2024 (FOI 24-25/23) for how “many teachers identify as autistic or neurodivergent” which we have handled under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA).

Please note that we do not gather this information as it relates to Registrants with GTC Scotland and have therefore applied section 17(1)(b) under FOISA as this information is not held.

However, by way of advice and assistance, I can advise you that in January 2024 we concluded a voluntary, anonymous equality survey of provisionally registered teachers with 1874 respondents on the Teacher Induction Scheme and Flexible Route. Within the survey, we asked “Do you have any of the following, which have lasted, or are expected to last, at least 12 months?” with the questions and responses mirroring the format used in Scotland’s National Census of 2021. Whilst there is no option specifically for autism nor neurodivergence, respondents may have chosen one of the responses below as information we hold in answer to your request.

This information has been provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Responses to the question “Do you have any of the following, which have lasted, or are expected to last, at least 12 months?” from 1874 provisionally registered respondents as part of a voluntary, anonymous equality survey concluded in January 2024

Furthermore, GTC Scotland recently published an article on autistic teachers in our Teaching Scotland magazine which supported our understanding as the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland. You may find this article relevant in relation to your request.

If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may contact informationgovernance@gtcs.org.uk to request GTC Scotland conduct a review of it. You should describe the original request and explain your grounds of review. You have 40 working days from receipt of this response to submit a review request. When the review process has been completed, if you are still dissatisfied, you may use the Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance on making an appeal to make an appeal to the Commissioner.