GOC Launches New Expert Advisory Groups

The 21st October witnessed the the General Optical Council (GOC) announce the establishment of two new Expert Advisory Groups (EAGs). The specialist groups have been created to advise on the education and training of optometrists and dispensing opticians, as well as to help define the new learning outcomes for students and Education Standards for providers as part of the Education Strategic Review (ESR).

The two new groups will play an important part in the development of the next steps within a broader Education Strategic Review. The insights and expertise gained through the groups will serve to help the GOC in the further development of the education standards and learning outcomes to ensure that the changes made to optical education are focused on meeting patient needs and maintaining public safety. The purpose of the EAGs is to advise and assist with the further development of the education standards and learning outcomes, including providing expertise in the development of a standards evaluation (quality assurance) framework and a common assessment framework.

Through the new open canvas approach, the groups have been created to be as transparent as possible enabling all stakeholders to share their views in much the same way as the groups’ members bringing greater clarity to the development process and enabling the groups to obtain even more wide-reaching feedback in order to improve the quality of the end products. It is hoped that, through such measures, optical education evolves as the sector does.

Both EAGs are made up from a variety of stakeholders, including GOC Council and Committee members, GOC Education Visitor Panel members, employers, registrants and other optical professionals. It is hoped that this wide berth of expertise and experience will allow the ESR to review and make recommendations on how the system of optical education and training should evolve.

The EAGs will continue to meet on a monthly basis until March 2020. Following the completion of their work, the revised learning outcomes and education standards will be presented to Council in May 2020.

For more information on the latest developments, visit the GOC website.