Teaching college established to combat classroom 'fads' The report also highlighted alarm over the extent to which teaching is put at the whim of the "five-year cycle" of education policy announcements, warning that there was a "need for a common voice and informed counter-weight to government-dictated change." Chris Pope, co-director of the PTI, and chairman of a new committee established to drive the plans, said there was a "need for the teaching profession to establish an independent body that will promote and uphold high professional standards in teaching." "My personal view is that the world of education has been too dominated by accountability initiatives," he said. Whilst government has an absolutely necessary role to ensure high standards, what the system does lack is something which is focused on aspiration and high standards as opposed to minimum levels of accountability. The PTI will publish a consultation document in May looking at the potential scope, functions and costs of the College of Teaching, with a view to establishing it later this year. The will identify whether the college should be compulsory or voluntary and whether it would administer a "licence to teach," the PTI said.