Scottish Supply Teachers

"The Holyrood study asked them to list factors they believe constrain their ability to develop a senior phase that meets the needs of pupils. Some 74% suggested timetabling was an issue, while 57% of respondents cited the availability of supply teachers."

https://stv.tv/news/scotland/1441068-timetabling-cited-as-main-concern-for-head-teachers/" target="_blank">https://stv.tv/news/scotland/1441068-timetabling-cited-as-main-concern-for-head-teachers/

Schools built on a toxic landfill sites, four staff diagnosed with the cancer and NHS North Lanarkshire cant be even bothered to get even a few sample of  people tested. This is disgraceful. 

Please send a letter to newspapers/ your MSP/ The Education Minister

Find you MSP

https://www.parliament.scot/mspfinder/index.html

Scottish Education Minister John Swinney MSP

https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-...

If this blue water is safe and there are no other health risks to anyone, why not just test a few hundred pupils and prove it?

The safety of two Coatbridge schools – Buchanan High and St Ambrose – on the same site has become a national political controversy over the last few months.

The newbuild is located on land which had previously been used for burying domestic and industrial waste. Ahead of construction, remediation work was carried out and the grounds were certif...

“Excessive cover for absent colleagues is just another burden on teachers. They have been expected to plug the gap as a result of the unjustifiable cap on supply teachers’ pay which generated a crisis in supply teacher provision.

Too many schools are also seeing internal cover as a way to save money at the expense of the health and wellbeing of teachers and the livelihoods of supply teachers. Covering for absent colleagues is not a good use of teachers’ time...

"From 1 January 2018, all supply teachers will be paid the appropriate point on the main grade scale, regardless of the duration of the cover."

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/15780302.Teachers_agree_backdated_deal_on_pay/

"GRUELLING workloads, high levels of stress and low pay are among the factors threatening to impede trainee teachers from embarking on a career in the classroom, official research has revealed. It comes as staff from headteachers to trainees have lifted the lid on the extraordinary challenges facing every tier of the profession."

"As well as calling for a pay rise, the union has proposed a raft of other changes, including removing a cap on short-term supply teachers’ pay and restoring certain maternity entitlements."

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14972816.Teachers_in_20_per_cent_pay_hike_demands_as_talks_set/

Sadly the shortage of supply teachers is the norm now in most Scottish councils. It was inevitable based on a series of blows:  The low pay supply deal done by EIS and Cosla, introduction of 32 period week to make teachers work to the last minute, reducing teachers number in schools to save money, SMT spread too thinly to provide backup when required, too much paperwork, no extra resources, funds or time provided but somehow teachers should change the whole curriculum and th...

"A SHORTAGE of supply teachers in Scottish schools is getting significantly worse, according to a new survey.  A poll of the country's 32 councils found more than two thirds believed the situation had deteriorated in the past year.  The shortfall was most acute in primary schools where 20 councils said they had difficulties, while half had problems in secondary."

by Andrew Denholm

"Last week, Glasgow’s Govan Law Centre released figures showing that, of 12,533 looked-after children, only 6,374 had been assessed for a co-ordinated support plan (CSP).

Under 2004 legislation, there is a presumption that Scottish children in care may have additional needs and that those who do should receive a CSP assessment.

Exam performance highlights the consequences of failure to carry out this duty. Only 12 per cent of vulnerable s...

"Parents at a Dundee school have been assured that new teachers will soon be in place amid concerns that staff shortages could affect education standards.

A number of posts are empty at Blackness Primary and it has also struggled to secure sufficient supply teachers.

The shortage is likely to become even more pressing as more children than ever are due to start at the school this summer.

The picture at Blackness replicates th...

“Permanent staff [are] in tears as they crumble under the extreme workload of endless extra duties every week, [with] special needs classes merged or individuals decanted to other classes, [and] non-specialists being preferred and employed rather than hire a specialist for a whole absence.

He stressed the problem was also one of cover staff being unwilling to accept work for a “Tesco-rate” gross daily wage packet of around £80."

"Eileen Prior, the organisation's executive director, wants an urgent overhaul of the way teacher numbers are monitored and recruited.

She said: "As it stands we are deali...

"New figures show the number of supply teaching hours in schools fell by 15 per cent between 2010/11 and 2012/13, with a further drop of 16 per cent in the last school year.  The cut in hours is a result of a well-documented shortage of supply teachers caused by a cut in their wages, which has since been partially reversed."