Elected Officials

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1 MRCH 2011 Website: rgyll & Bute berdeen City ngus berdeenshire Clackmannanshire Dundee City District Secretaries West End House, 14 West End Place, Edinburgh, EH11 2ED Tel Fax John McGinnes John Gray Christine Campbell lbert McKay Maggie Nesbit George Sturrock Dumfries & Galloway Jay Young East yrshire Edinburgh City Ward McCormick Susan Dick East Dunbartonshire Sally Shearer East Lothian East Renfrewshire Eilean Siar Falkirk Fife Glasgow City Highland Elected Officials We are delighted to report that the following members have been duly elected: President Margaret Smith (Fife) Minute Secretary lan Taylor (North Lanarkshire) General Treasurer Elaine Henderson (berdeenshire) Vice President James Forbes (Mid Lothian) Kaye Macaskill John Guidi Rob McCafferty Robert Morgan Margaret Smith Ray Howie Debbie Lang ndrew Sutcliffe Inverclyde Mid Lothian Moray North yrshire North Lanarkshire Orkney Perth & Kinross Renfrewshire South yrshire Scottish Borders Shetland South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbarton West Lothian Valerie Liddell James Forbes Derek Connelly Euan Duncan lan Taylor Rosemary McLaughlin Rob Hands Craig Wood Tony Zerebiec Ian MacLennan Jerry Edwards Janine McCullough Ian MacLean lex McEwan Peter Wright

2 Council Up-date PGE 2 Non-Contact Time Does Not Exist In the last newsletter the article on Working Time greements resulted in a number of enquiries from members regarding the distribution of non-contact time and the number of periods off a teacher must get. This article attempts to clarify the contractual position: There is NO such thing as contractual non-contact time. teacher (supply or otherwise) is entitled to guaranteed individual preparation and correction time that is equal to one third of their class contact time. For a teacher working a full week. Maximum class contact time 22.5 hours Individual preparation and correction time 7.5 hours Total 30 hours Pupil day (which has no contractual standing) 27.5 hours This means that 2.5 hours a week of a teacher s preparation and correction time by definition is out with the pupil day or 30 minutes a day (say 3.30 to 4 pm) The other 5 hours must be within the pupil day (300 minutes or 5.5 periods (55 minutes) when converted into periods) The remaining 5 hours is for collegiate time 1 hour a day 4 pm to 5 pm. The timings are shown to explain why some supply teachers are told they are employed until 5 pm. Part-time Staff ll elements of the 35 hour week are allocated on a pro rata basis for all part-time staff. Weeks with Monday Holidays There are often questions regarding members being asked to do additional cover during weeks which contain Monday holidays. Such weeks, by national agreement, are treated as a normal 5-day week and there is no flexibility in either class contact time or in individual preparation and correction time. For example a manager suggests that a teacher can be given 22.5 hours contact over the 4 days Tuesday to Friday is incorrect. Similarly a teacher is incorrect to suggest that they require additional free time if they have 3 periods of individual preparation and correction on a Monday.

3 PGE 3 McCormac Review of Teachers Pay and Conditions Members will be aware that the Government has asked Professor Gerry McCormac of Stirling University to conduct a review of teachers pay and conditions. The review is described as a review of teacher employment but this is clearly a misleading description of the remit. The teacher unions were not consulted on the matter. Members may respond to the review directly online at but should note that the online response must be completed in a single visit to the site: there is no save mechanism. It should be noted that answers are sought only to specific questions but there is space for comment. The teacher unions were not consulted on the questions. typical example of a somewhat loaded question would be whether the current annex B duties are suited to the implementation of CfE but not the question as to whether duties should in any way relate to CfE. Certain questions are so obvious as to generate doubt as to why they are present. It is doubtful if many teachers will fail to agree that the probation year is a crucial stage in a teacher s development. Other questions are capable of more than one interpretation without seeking the necessary clarification. Respondents are asked if current pay levels reflect teachers status as professional working in the public sector. It is not clear whether a No means the pay levels are too high or too low. The ssociation will, of course, submit its own response. Members are asked to note that the consultation period may be relatively brief. Members may wish to make references to any or all of the following points:- n agreement must be capable of ensuring that teachers can restrict workload to 35 hours per week. Current initiatives (in particular CfE) are increasing current workload. Since the 2001 agreement there has been a huge reduction in the number of promoted posts available. The faculty system operated in many schools has increased workload generally. The state education system requires a committed, professional workforce. There remains a shortage of available management time in most schools. Current agreements regarding the provision of support staff are widely ignored. Is the review necessary? Do we want to make the case that the review is necessary? If we do accept this, then other items might be added. Why can Cosla not negotiate an agreement that lasts longer than 10 years? Failure to make preference to issues e.g. Job sizing which clearly need to be changed.

4 PGE 4 COSL Proposal - Frequently sked Questions Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Does the comment in section 2 of the document about sufficient teaching posts for all probationers mean that Probationers finishing is 2011 are guaranteed a job? NO they are not. The comment in Section 2 refers to the number of jobs which would become available. The Cabinet Secretary assures us that the jobs would be open to all registered teachers and subject to competitive interview using normal procedures. ppointments are, of course, under the control of the education authority. Does the change from lifetime conservation affect PTs or Deputes conserved as a result of amalgamation? COSL intends that this change will apply to all teachers employed by local authorities and in receipt of lifetime conservation. Where conservation results from an amalgamation and redundancy could have applied members may be able to take legal action. This would have to be tested at law and we have no definitive answer at present. Legal advice is being sought on your behalf. Head teachers in this position should, in the first instance, contact the SST for advice. Would the 5 years of cash conservation apply to a teacher currently conserved? ny teacher appointed before pril 2001, whose salary would be reduced before 31 March 2013, will be entitled to cash conservation until 31 March ny teacher whose salary is reduced from 1 pril 2013 would be entitled to cash conservation for 3 years from the date of the reduction. What is cash conservation? teacher in receipt of cash conservation retains the higher salary for a period of time (normally 3 years) but does not receive any pay increases until the salary for the post reaches the level of the conserved salary, or the period of conservation ends. t the end of the stipulated period the teacher s salary reverts to the national scale point for the post. Does the move to 40 days annual leave mean I would lose holiday pay? Would my holiday entitlement be reduced? This is an attempt by COSL to reduce the amount of holiday entitlement women accrue during maternity leave. They have divided the leave year into 2 sections, contractual leave and school closure. Permanent employees would continue to be paid in the usual way and at the same rate. Salary would continue during school closure days. There would be an effect on supply staff whose daily rate would be higher but who would be paid for fewer holidays. Would teachers still be paid during school closure? Teachers who have permanent contracts would be paid as they are currently. There would be no changes to frequency of payment or the amount as a result of this element of the proposal.

5 PGE 5 COSL Proposal - Frequently sked Questions Q7 Q8 What would a teacher on point 6 of the pay-scale be paid for doing supply? For supply cover of up to 8 days all teachers would be paid for 5.5 hrs per day at scalepoint 1. complete working week is 35 hours, 7 hours per day. From day 9 a supply teacher would be paid at their normal scale-point. How would the changes to sick pay affect me? Every day of sick leave would be paid at 90% of your normal salary. The normal rules about length of entitlement would continue to apply. The maximum payment would therefore be 26 weeks at 90% of full salary followed by 26 weeks at 45% of full salary. President s View Over the two years of my Presidency, I have tried to visit as many secondary schools as possible. This programme of visits has taken me to secondary schools from Wick to Irvine and from Duns to Inverness. My contacts with hundreds of SST members and school rep s have confirmed views which I have long held: secondary teachers are divided and unity is required in order that they achieve proper control over their working conditions and a proper professional focus on delivering good learning and teaching to their pupils. Peter Wright, President Members of other unions may suggest that unity across the various sectors of education should be the priority. This has been the policy of the majority union for decades but secondary teachers (and not just secondary teachers) are still subject to excessive working hours, worrying levels of workplace bullying and flawed curriculum initiatives such as CfE, which are imposed on a divided workforce. The current attack on the 21 st Century greement is further evidence of the deficiencies of the single union model of teacher trade unionism in Scotland. Ten years ago, the McCrone report was delivered and its recommendations were subjected to negotiations in an SNCT dominated by the majority union. The final agreement brought in many advantages to teachers although less so for secondary teachers. In the intervening ten years however, the benefits of the greement should have been consolidated by the power of the majority union. Genuine collegiality should have been secured. It was not. Secondary promoted structures should have been effectively defended. They were not. The 35 hour week should have been promoted in schools by negotiating working time agreements which allowed teachers to focus on the core tasks of lesson preparation, marking and reporting. Yet another failure. nother missed opportunity. Professional unity is not unity at all if it is merely a unity of union structures. Genuine unity is achieved through unity of purpose. The SST s purpose is to ensure that a single union organisation focuses single mindedly on secondary teachers and on improving their working conditions and thus the learning and teaching they deliver to our young people. Other purposes, for example, promoting the concept of learning representatives and assisting employers to deliver CPD to teachers, are a dangerous distraction.

6 PGE 6 President s President s view Our primary colleagues would also benefit from being members of a primary teachers union which served its members in this single minded way. Structural links with the secondary teachers union would be easily forged if the common purpose was first agreed. t SST Council, (held in January due to the snowlocaust ) a motion was passed which committed this ssociation to work closely with our fellow SNCT unions in the current crisis. This is clear evidence that the SST is not a sector based union interested only in defending secondary teachers but, as our constitution says, is determined to advance education in Scotland. However, if other unions fail to deliver the protections which all teachers deserve, then it may be time for the SST to progress a different vision of teacher unity. Members will be aware that the Economic Crisis is damaging education across Europe. It is also being used as an excuse to attack teachers conditions of service. We are all aware of the cuts which have been imposed on public service workers in Ireland, although members will be surprised at the extent of the loss suffered by colleagues in the ROI. Only in NI is education being seen as a route out of the crisis. Scottish local authorities seem determined to follow the ROI route to ruin educational provision in return for some short-term savings. Republic of Ireland The Economic Crisis - Effects on Education Culture of blame and attacks on public sector workers has resulted in a Dutch uction to cut services. Political parties are campaigning on their plans to cut more than other parties. Pay cuts and pension levy have resulted in 16% drop in salary; with tax increases adding another 4-5%. ll new secondary posts will be paid at a salary of 10% less than current posts. Pension review is widely expected to recommend an average salary scheme and all new entrants will only be eligible for average salary pension. dditional cuts have been made to transport; education grants; training schemes; university funding and special needs provision. There have been no negotiations with Trade Unions, changes have been imposed by dictat. Recent agreement with Unions offered no pay cuts or compulsory redundancies for 4 years in return for additional working (for teachers this was class contact time). 19 out of 22 public service unions accepted. Only 2 unions are still holding out. National minimum wage cut by 40 per week.

7 PGE 7 The Economic Crisis - Effects on Education Northern Ireland Education is seen as route out of crisis so only 25% cut in budget. Review of administration of education and push for 1 single authority. No cross party support for change, talking about rationalization which may be the only silver lining. Severe cuts in ICT provision. Increased fees for GTC. Protection for Special Needs and early years. ll public service unions are trying to work together on this issue. England Local uthorities work independently so cuts and changes to conditions of service are patchy. Most cuts are being channelled into funding for cademies this is now the only way to get adequate funding. Library services are being cut and compulsory redundancies are already a fact of life for teachers. dditional services like special needs are being either cut or closed down. 3-4% increase in pension contributions being challenged on basis of accrued right (SST are involved in this challenge). Expectation is that Hutton Report will recommend career average pension scheme. New bill in England likely to result in mass privatization of education. Cuts being made to capital and revenue funding. Education forums packed with academies and no real engagement with trade unions. Schools will now be required to participate in national and international surveys, e.g. PIS. Education unions determined to maintain unity, particularly on pensions (this is very unusual for education TUs in England). National industrial action is likely during the summer term, local action is already underway.

8 PGE 8 The Economic Crisis - Effects on Education Scotland Proposal that teachers agree to loss of conditions of service in return for additional FTE teaching posts on 1 day only (day census is taken) with no real guarantees of additional staffing. Threats of compulsory redundancy and imposition of changes to conditions of service Loss of funding for SN, school support staff, librarians and all non-essential services Threats of disciplinary action against teachers whose attendance falls below a certain amount; in some authorities this is 85 90% Lack of funding for basic educational supplies, including jotters and photocopying. Increasing demands for development of new curricular material, increasing use of internal cover and unwillingness to pay for supply staff. March Council Council heard reports of the latest progress on the following issues: The Review on Teacher Employment (McCormack Review) will begin taking evidence during March. The ssociation will prepare a formal response but all members are urged to respond individually. Suggested topics for comment are now available on the website. This ssociation s formal response will also be available on the website from 25 March Further details on making a response are available elsewhere in this newsletter. The final proposal from COSL to reduce the education budget by 64m+ was received by the ssociation on Monday 28 February. Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee (SCSC) recommended rejection of the proposal and a ballot of members is now underway. Council endorsed the recommendation of the SCSC. Changes to the SQ appeals procedures were reported. Details should be available in schools very shortly and will be available on the SST website. report on the budget from the General Treasurer included a report that a surplus of 40K was identified at the end of the financial year. Budget cuts by Local uthorities include a reduction in provision for SN which will result in a marked deterioration of support services for young people in Scottish schools.

9 PGE 9 So What s New Voice from the Past Extract from Presidential ddress by J.N.C Clark, M., Ph.D., to the Seventeenth nnual General Congress of the SST, pril 1961 The word Strike has been freely used and discussed throughout the country, and I want to say a few words about that now. You will frequently hear it said by members of the public that if the teachers strike, they will lose all the sympathy the public now has for them and their case. The public has for so many years remained so indifferent to us and our case that I do not suppose many of us retain much concern for their sympathy. The public has for so many years remained so indifferent to the plight of its own children that they have no right to expect us to worry very much about their sympathy. The public includes the parents of the children whose education and, therefore, whose lives are being spoiled through lack of adequate teaching; parents who, as I said last year, could make their Parliamentary representatives change the educational picture overnight, if they chose to make their influence felt. It is not, of course, in any case true that we should lose the sympathy of all members of the public in the event of a strike. I have heard others offer the quite unsolicited opinion that it was high time the teachers did strike. But, ladies and gentlemen, a strike is a thing that none of us really wants. We are prepared to face the necessity of a strike if it is forced upon us by the mismanagement of others. t no time have your Executive or your Officials considered that the Glasgow teachers were wrong to strike. What we tried to persuade them was that their timing was wrong. I share with the others in positions of responsibility the conviction that any kind of coercive action that is forced upon us should be undertaken as joint action, with all the three educational organisations acting together and in my estimation the situation has already been created where the three organisations will be prepared to do so. Joint action need not, however, necessarily take the form of a strike. There are many methods of imposing sanctions on a government that will not open its eyes. But I want to say to you solemnly that whatever action you decide on, whether that action be nationwide or restricted, it should be undertaken with national agreement and with national support. I want to urge you to think beforehand what the situation will be like if it comes to that. You must not be firebrands; neither, on the other hand, if I my change the metaphor, should you refuse your fences. But you must use your imagination now to figure what coercive action of various kinds would be like, so that if you find yourselves in such action you will have lived the situation beforehand in your minds, your hearts will not fail you at the eleventh hour, but you will go into it with courage and not back out. I sincerely hope that a clash can be avoided. But if it is to be avoided, it can only be done by the Government s awakening at long last to the magnitude of the problem.

10 PGE 10 March Council Motions The current uncertainty regarding the numbers of subjects that pupils can be presented for in S4 under CfE is causing timetabling and subject-based curricular planning chaos in Secondary Schools. The ssociation asks the Scottish Government to instruct the C of E Board of Management as a matter of urgency to abandon the S4 five subject model for the eight subject model. The members urge the SST Representatives to stand firm on maintaining our current conditions of service during the SNCT negotiations fter debate this was remitted to Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee The work of the Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee s the name suggests, the role of the Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee is to monitor and develop ssociation policy relating to teacher salaries, conditions of service and also teacher pensions. The committee is made up of all national office bearers plus 10 elected representatives who come from a number of different areas across the country. The ssociation is represented in a number of ways, through this committee, on all national committees and working groups relating to teachers conditions of service. The General Secretary, President and Convener of Salaries are on the Teachers Panel of the SNCT and The General Secretary and Convener attend the full meeting of the SNCT with the other Teacher Unions, representatives of Cosla and the Scottish Government. The Convener and members of the Secretariat also attend meetings of the SNCT working groups and technical working groups and give regular reports on progress to Council and Congress. Recently the convener or General Secretary have participated in meetings of the Extended Joint Chairs, a small core group charged with discussing the fine detail of any negotiations with Cosla and the Scottish Government. The Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee meets on an ad hoc basis when there are reports or critical issues to be discussed and because of the recent proposals from Cosla on pay and conditions, meetings have been much more frequent over the last few months. Members will be aware that, after careful consideration, the committee recommended rejection of the Cosla package. t the time of writing we await the response of members in the ballot. The committee has also drafted a response paper to the Hutton Inquiry into teacher pensions. The next important issue for the committee is the preparation of the ssociation response to the McCormac Review, which includes an opportunity to give oral evidence. The response will be available on the website in due course. lan Taylor Convener of the Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee

11 PGE 11 ppeals No More? t a recent SQ Strategy event, one of several throughout the country, the current thinking on the status of SQ appeals was discussed. The SQ are currently reviewing the whole ppeals process with a view to making it simpler to administer and fairer for students. It was explained that appeals were originally designed to cater for the small number of candidates who, through exceptional circumstances were unable to sit the exam. This was normally through an event such as illness or bereavement, and where the presenting centre had convincing alternative evidence. Over the years, the appeals process has grown to the extent that, in 2010, over 63,000 were lodged, 46% of which were successful. Clearly, the purpose of appeals has changed over the years, and there are concerns that, for many, it represents a second opportunity to gain an award. Some centres have become very skilled at presenting appeals evidence, as have some subject areas, which suggests a lack of fairness for students. The drive to provide quality evidence to support the process, often through second prelims or additional assessments, detracts from learning and teaching, and the setting, preparation for, timetabling of and marking of these is both time-consuming and onerous for teachers. There are also issues about the security of the assessment instruments. The preparation of appeals paperwork in ugust is also time-consuming for staff in centres and stressful for students awaiting results for entry to Higher Education. The SQ is considering a number of changes to the appeals system, including the abandonment of the word ppeal. They suggest that the process could be simplified by separating it into two types. Pre-results, consideration would be given to candidates with, as in the past, with special circumstances. Candidates who had not sat the exam or were suffering from other clear difficulties would be notified to the SQ and this request would be supported with quality evidence. This would be less rigorous than the present requirement and would not necessarily need whole-course coverage. The performance of other candidates in the centre s cohort and predicted grades would presumably be taken into account. Post-results, there would be a Results Enquiry Service, whereby centres could query specific candidates results. The candidates exam scripts would undergo a clerical marking check (checking totals) to ensure additions were correct. If there were still concerns, specific scripts could be remarked, although this could result in marks being lowered as well as raised, and there would, in likelihood, be a cost associated with this. There was no suggestion as to whether this cost would be met by centres, local authorities, or individual candidates. s presented by Robert Quinn (SQ)

12 PGE 12 Dates for SQ NQ 4 & 5 Release of Information Draft Rationale and Course Summary: Feb 2011 Draft Course Specification: May 2011 Draft Unit Specifications: Sept 2011 Draft Course ssessment Specifications Draft Unit ssessment Specifications: Feb 2012 Draft Course Support Pack Draft Unit Support Pack: May 2012 ugust 2013 First cohort of pupils begin S4 Pre-Retirement Courses 2011 There are still places available on this year s remaining pre-retirement course. It takes place on:- Saturday 11 June 2011 Stirling (Stirling Management Centre). ny member wishing to attend should phone or the ssociation offices for an application form or go to in order to enrol online. Topics include:- Investment State Pension Teachers Superannuation Scheme The Need for Planning Taxation in Retirement. Change of ddress Members who have changes to their personal details are asked to notify the ssociation office in writing or info@ssta.org.uk. Send us your address and we will send you e-newsletters and updates.