It is an honour and a privilege to be standing here and addressing you for the second time. I have watched, listened, and hopefully learnt a great deal about the Scottish Education system in the last year. What I do know is how important is the role that SSTA has in the future of Scottish Education. The Scottish Government election is done and the ‘real’ work is to begin in terms of shaping the future of Education in Scotland. Scotland…
SSTA Congress 2016 - Presidential Address
Welcome to the 72nd Congress of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association. It is both a pleasure and a privilege to stand here today in the company of so many hard working colleagues, both from within the Association and from kindred organisations, near and far. Before I begin I would like to express my gratitude to my employers, North Ayrshire Council, and to my school, Kilwinning Academy, for the flexibility they have allowed me over the last year to represent the…
SSTA Indicative Ballot
The Association's Executive Committee is meeting on Friday 26 August to discuss the details of the formal ballot for Industrial Action. A statement to members will be made following the meeting. https://ssta.org.uk/2016/08/ballot-industrial-action-begin/ https://ssta.org.uk/2016/06/ssta-moves-industrial-action-ballot-cut-teacher-workload/ The Indicative Ballot has now closed. A statement was issued on Tuesday 6 June 2016 https://ssta.org.uk/2016/06/ssta-prepared-take-action-cut-teacher-workload/ Increasing teacher workload has been a major issue for SSTA members over a number of years and the SSTA has continuously pressed for measures to reduce teacher workload. In March 2015,…
National Qualifications
The Assessment and National Qualification working group report has been circulated to members of the CfE Management Board for approval. However, the SSTA sought clarification from SQA of the measures proposed within the report to reduce teacher workload. A report of the clarifications can be downloading using the link below. Please note - The SSTA will be moving to an Indicative Ballot of members on ‘teacher workload’ in the coming days. The ballot will carried out on-line and it is…
Indicative Ballot of Members
The SSTA National Council has sanctioned an Indicative Ballot of members on the Government’s Assessment and National Qualification working group report due at the end of March. The Indicative Ballot of members will be sent out by e-mail with a unique voting code. To ensure that all members who are eligible to a vote receive an email, we are asking that members who have not been receiving emails from the Association contact the SSTA office by emailing info@ssta.org.uk or by…
National Qualifications and Reducing Teacher Workload
Printable Version SSTA members have consistently highlighted the need for a reduction in teacher workload in the senior phase of secondary education. A survey of members in December 2015 clearly found that the SQA requirements and processes had added considerably, and in many cases unnecessarily, to teacher’s workload. The SSTA Council resolved to conduct an indicative ballot of members on cutting bureaucracy in National Qualifications. The Government established the ‘Assessment and National Qualification working group’ in January and was tasked…
SSTA Guidance - Trade Union Facilities
ACAS CODE OF PRACTICE The ACAS Code of Practice ‘Time Off for Trade Union Duties and Activities’ came into effect on 1 January 2010. This revised code was issued under Section 199 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992. ACAS has a duty to provide practical guidance on the role, the responsibilities and time off to be permitted by an employer. http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2391 In the Code the term ‘trade union official’ is replaced by ‘union representative’. A ‘representative’,…
35 Hour Week – The Teacher Contract
Printable Version The working hours and duties of teachers are negotiated nationally and form part of the agreed conditions of service for teachers (SNCT-Part 2 Appendix 2.7) The individual and collective work of teachers should be capable of being undertaken within the 35 hour working week. Working Year and Working Week (SNCT-Part 2 Section 3) The working year for teachers shall consist of 195 days of which 190 days will coincide with the school year for pupils with the remaining…
PRESS RELEASE - EDINBURGH SCHOOLS
The Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, Scotland's only specialist union for secondary teachers, expressed its concern today regarding the temporary closure of 5 Edinburgh Private Public Partnership (PPP) secondary schools. General Secretary Seamus Searson said, "For young people due to start sitting national exams in a matter of days, the timing could hardly be worse. Edinburgh City Council and the building contractors have known about these structural problems since walls started collapsing in January, yet it is only now that proper…
Press Release - SSTA to Ballot Members on Bureaucratic Qualifications
The SSTA National Council has sanctioned an Indicative Ballot of members on the Government’s Assessment and National Qualification working group report due at the end of March. Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “the situation that many teachers face in schools today in trying to do the best for their young people is intolerable. SSTA has welcomed the acknowledgement that there are problems and possible measures for the future are being prepared but workload needs to be reduced now”. “The…
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