The only teachers who are given the option of not joining the new system are those who are ten years from retirement as of 2016. Initial Teacher Education: new requirements to enter initial teacher education, mandatory accreditation of initial teacher education programmes, and external assessment of student teachers before their graduation to inform the improvement of teacher education programmes. New Career Structure: launch of the National Induction System for beginning teachers, creation of a multistage career structure, and development of a teacher evaluation process to determine progression in the career structure.