Teachers 'being treated like criminals' by new job rules It was claimed that many long standing teachers with good records could be unfairly branded after being faced by a difficult year group or missing out on necessary support from heads. Martin Freedman, head of pay and conditions at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "We think it is grossly unfair and disproportionate to treat teachers more harshly than some offenders whose records are wiped long before two years are up." Under the new regulations, school governors will be expected to look into the background of any new teacher applying for a job. Former schools will be forced to "advise in writing whether or not that member of staff has, in the preceding two years, been the subject" of disciplinary procedures. They must also provide "details of the concerns which gave rise to this, the duration of the proceedings and their outcome." Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, said: "Future employers need to know more about the strengths and weaknesses of teachers they are potentially employing. Nobody benefits when poor teaching is tolerated. It puts pressure on other teachers and undermines children's education. The changes came as it emerged that the Government was also introducing new regulations to allow state schools in England to hire unqualified staff as teachers. It is hoped that the move will lead to more people entering the classroom directly from industry to pass on their expertise to pupils. It extends a power already awarded to state-funded academy schools. But the ATL claimed the move would open the door to unsuitable candidates. Alison Ryan, education policy adviser at the ATL, said: "The government's removal of restrictions to stop unqualified people teaching in our state schools is short-sighted, falls far short of what our children and young people need and deserve, and seems to be driven by a desire to cut spending on education."