Internationally, there is a clear consensus that the quality of teaching is probably the most important systemic variable influencing the outcomes of schooling. One approach to controlling teaching quality that has been implemented in many jurisdictions is the regulation of the teaching profession through systems of licensing, registration, credentialing and certification. On the other hand, many countries - including some of those with he most successful educational outcomes – do not have formal teacher licensing.

While some countries have implemented teacher licensing regimes for decades, others are now developing credentialing systems with a view to improving the performance of their school systems against others, such is the climate of international competitiveness. A number of these are developing countries, which are investing strongly in education as the key to taking their places in the world economic order.

Throughout the world, educational researchers have studied the impact, if any, of teacher licensing on student learning outcomes. Studies have investigated different forms of regulation and attempted to identify links between these and teaching quality as evidenced by measures of student learning.

This research ranges from studies of local arrangements undertaken by researchers in individual jurisdictions to major international reports undertaken by large cross-national agencies.

The paper will provide a survey of this research, analysing it to identify patterns of findings that might provide a basis for education policy makers to make their decisions. As well as providing an informed commentary on the evidence about the effectiveness of licensing as an improvement measure, it will consider and report on regulatory effects of arrangements in countries that achieve impressive outcomes without formal teacher licensing.

Berk, R.A. (1999). Impact of college admissions and teacher licensure and certification tests on teacher quality. Retrieved from Pearson: Assessments and information: http://www.education.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/MES_Publications/1999_20B erk_424_1.pdf Boyd, D., Goldhaber, D., Lankford, H., & Wyckoff, J. (2007). The Effect of Certification and Preparation on Teacher Quality. Future of Children, 17(1), 45-68. Dajani, H. & Pennington, R. (2014). New licensing system for teachers in the UAE. The National, Abu Dhabi. Accessed 31.01.2015 from http://www.thenational.ae/uae/education/new-licensing-system-for-teachers-in-the-uae . Darling-Hammond, L. (2001). The research and rhetoric on teacher certification: A response to "Teacher certification reconsidered." Unpublished paper, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Education (2007) Education Sector Strategy for the Afghanistan National Development Strategy. Accessed 31.01.2015 from http://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/upload/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_MoE_strategy_English.pdf . Kane, T.J., Rockoff, J.E., & Staiger, D.O. (2008). What does certification tell us about teacher effectiveness? Evidence from New York City. Economics of Education Review, 27(6), 615-631. Larsen, B. (2014). Occupational Licensing and Quality: Distributional and Heterogeneous Effects in the Teaching Profession. Stanford University. Accessed 31.01.2015 from http://web.stanford.edu/~bjlarsen/Larsen_(2014)_licensing_and_quality.pdf . Leigh, A and Mead, S. (2005) Lifting Teacher Performance. Policy Report April 2005. Progressive Policy Institute, April 2005. http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/pdf/DP619.pdf