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.