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Why is ‘medical fitness to teach’ an
issue?
The reason for addressing the issue of medical fitness to teach
centres around the following requirements:
- To ensure health, safety and well-being of teachers.
- To ensure the health, safety, well-being and educational progress
of students.
- To provide an efficient service, which will facilitate learning
for students.
- To manage any risk to the health of teachers which may arise
from their teaching duties including ensuring that those duties
do not exacerbate pre-existing health problems.
- To ensure the health and safety of other teachers and support
staff is not adversely affected by a colleague being medically
unfit.
- To enable all, including those with disabilities, who wish to
pursue a career in teaching to achieve their potential within the
bounds of reasonable adjustment.
What are the benefits of carrying out medical fitness to
teach assessments?
- To ensure that the health of teachers is being looked after.
- To manage any sickness absence issues and ensure that teachers
are fit to teach in the job that they are employed to do.
- To correct any issues at work which may be related to the illness
of the teacher.
- To promote health, safety and well-being in the teaching community.
- To ensure that the health and safety of
other teachers and support staff is not affected by a colleague’s
health condition.
When is assessment of medical fitness necessary?
The need to access medical fitness to teach arises in a number of
circumstances. The most common of these are:
- On appointment as a teacher or return to teaching following an
absence in excess of 2 years.
- During and/or following sickness absence.
- Where health problems become otherwise evident during employment.
- Where ill health retirement is being considered.
Medical fitness assessment is complemented by health risk assessment
and management which may be influenced by individual variables such
as health status and pregnancy status.
What criteria are used to measure medical fitness?
To be able to undertake teaching duties safely and effectively,
the following are among the more essential criteria in measuring
teachers medical fitness: Teachers
- Have the health and well-being necessary to deal with the specific
types of teaching and associated duties in which they are engaged.
- From a medical prospective are able to communicate effectively
with students, parents and colleagues.
- Possess sound judgement and insight.
- Remain alert while supervising students and/or working with hazardous
materials
- Can respond to students needs appropriately and effectively.
- Are medically fit to manage classes.
- Do not constitute any risk to the health, safety or well-being
of the students who they teach.
- Can, where disabilities exist, be enabled by reasonable adjustments
to meet all other criteria.
A more detailed criterion may need to be used for specialist posts
e.g. Physical Education, Science.
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