Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 14 December 2016 to Question 56128 and of 23 December 2016 to Question 58051, whether she will issue guidance for schools and teachers on how the provisions in section 60 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 that allow the employment of all teachers in voluntary aided schools to be reserved teachers can be interpreted reasonably and proportionately to comply with the EU Employment Equality Directive Article 4(2).

The Government does not consider the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 to be in contravention of the EU Employment Equality Directive Article 4(2). The ‘Guidance on Managing Staff Employment in Schools’ (2009) clarifies the position with regard to the employment of reserved teachers in voluntary aided schools.