NEWS

Call to ‘stop insulting the profession’

Teachers must be supported, not denigrated, the NASUWT has told a forum of parliamentarians and educationalists.

Dr Patrick Roach, the NASUWT’s Assistant General Secretary for Policy and Communications [left], addressed members of the Westminster Education Forum, which brings together MPs and civil servants with public organisations and industry representatives to share

ideas and shape policy making on education. Speaking on the topic ‘Morale and Recruitment – the

State of the Workforce’, Dr Roach called for an end to attacks on teacher quality, saying that the view peddled by some politicians that the profession is riddled with incompetent teachers was false and insulting to the profession.

“What is clear,” he said, “is that there has been a persistent failure to invest in the continuing development of teacher quality at all stages of teachers’ careers. “Investing in professional development is the means for raising teacher quality; not by denigrating the profession; not by restricting access to government - funded initial teacher training (ITT) only to those students who have previously graduated with a 2:2 or higher degree or who had the privilege of studying at an elite university; nor by accelerating the fast-track to the sack by diluting or removing the employment rights of teachers; but by creating the conditions in every school for confident professional practice and teacher agency to be nurtured, encouraged, and supported.” Dr Roach called for a contractual entitlement to high quality continuing professional development (CPD) to become a right for all teachers and stated that the new Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) would help to achieve this aim.

An entitlement to CPD must also be at the heart of the Government’s new licence to practise plans, Dr Roach said, warning that teachers would not support the plans if they amounted to an ‘MOT for teachers’ or placed additional duties or responsibilities on them.


Support package follows CfE concerns

The Scottish Government has announced a package of measures to offer more support to schools in implementing Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). The NASUWT has consistently raised concerns with ministers over the lack of clarity and guidance being offered to teachers and headteachers on the introduction of CfE, which is due to come into force in August. The Union has argued that it is crucial that schools have enough information, advice and time to implement such major and far- reaching reforms.

In response to the concerns that have been raised, Education Secretary Michael Russell [right] has announced a ten-point plan aimed at offering more guidance to schools, parents, pupils and local authorities.

The Plan includes:

• tailored support for any secondary school that needs additional help. Headteachers have been invited to tell local authorities and the Scottish Government what help they need;

• additional guidance materials for teachers;

• £3 million funding for councils to help support moderation.

• a proposal for literacy and numeracy units to be built into English and maths qualifications to simplify the system for formally recognising these skills through CfE;

• ‘excellence groups’ bringing subject teachers and experts in individual fields together to support the development of good practice;

• bringing Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) together with education authorities and schools to clarify how CfE will be inspected;

• a series of events to allow headteachers to share experience and best practice.

While the NASUWT welcomes moves to provide additional and much needed support to schools, the Union is still concerned that the timescale for the implementation of CfE is too tight and is putting unreasonable strain on teachers and headteachers. The Union will be closely monitoring the effectiveness of this package of support. Further details of the Union’s position on CfE can be found on the NASUWT’s website at www.nasuwt.org.uk/ Whatsnew/NASUWTNews/Nationalnewsitems/index.htm.