January 2014 Newsletter

The January 2014 edition of the SSTA Bulletin can be downloaded from SSTA January 2014 Newsletter. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open the Bulletin. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader it can be downloaded from http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/.

Obituary for David H Eaglesham

David H Eaglesham It is with deep regret that the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association announces the death of former General Secretary, David Eaglesham.  David, aged 63, died peacefully in St Columba’s Hospice on Friday 31 January 2014 after a year long illness. David Eaglesham was the remarkable, ebullient and indefatigable General Secretary of the SSTA for a period of twelve years from 1996 until 2008.  A true “north side of the river” Glaswegian, David was educated at Victoria Drive Senior…

Salary Offer

The Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee has met and unanimously agreed to support the revised offer on the 1% + 1% Salary offer.  The Committee took the view that there was nothing significantly different in the new offer that would cause a change of position.  Moreover, the Committee rejected the need for any ballot on the same basis. The differences with the new offer are noted below.  A clearer statement to the effect that teachers shall not be required…

David Eaglesham

The SSTA with great sadness announces the death of their former General Secretary David Eaglesham, 1996 – 2008. Alan McKenzie, Acting General Secretary, today said: “David was an outstanding General Secretary of this Association, taking up office following the death of Alan Lamont. David brought to the post a sense of tirelessness and, sometimes in the face of much opposition, a determination to change the SSTA and increase its profile nationally. Those of us who worked with him remember his…

Curriculum for Excellence Crisis in Confidence

The SSTA has today released interim figures following its survey on N4/N5 and the New Higher.  The response to the survey has been overwhelming and it is for this reason that we have decided to issue an interim statement. Acting General Secretary Alan McKenzie said “We continue to be alarmed by the clear lack of confidence being expressed by our members particularly in terms of the assessment materials for N4 and 5.     80% of the respondents indicated that they were…

SPPA Consultation on draft regulations

Consultation on draft regulations to implement the new Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme with effect from 1 April 2015 The above consultation is available to view on the SPPA website and runs from 20 December 2013 to 16 February 2014. Comments can be made on-line by completing the questionnaire or by completing the printable consultation form and returning it either by email to stsspensionreform@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or alternatively by mail to: STSS Consultation (2015 Reform) SPPA Policy 7 Tweedside Park Tweedbank Galashiels

LGBT Curriculum Awareness

Today the SSTA welcomed Scottish Government’s invitation to it to set in motion a combined Action Plan to raise the awareness of the need to support LGBT young people in Scottish Schools.  In particular, the SSTA would propose a partnership arrangement with groups representing LGBT young people, Education Scotland, GTCS and all teacher unions to ensure that all schools incorporate LGBT matters directly into the Curriculum. Alan McKenzie, Acting General Secretary, said “There is an increasing number of young people…

School Visits in Scotland

The SSTA today called for Scottish Government to provide specific funding to encourage schools to have a co-ordinated programme of school visits to places of Scottish cultural and historical interest. Alan McKenzie Acting General Secretary, said today “Many schools do this on a regular basis but rely on parents agreeing to meet the whole cost.  Clearly in the present economic climate, parents will struggle to meet that cost.  There is a funding source to allow selected pupils from each Scottish…

School Closure and Adverse Weather

Given the recent adverse weather conditions the SSTA calls on Scottish Government, local authority employers and independent school management to make careful scrutiny of their policies on adverse weather.  Such scrutiny should involve answering the key question of what circumstances merit the closure of schools on the basis of “better safe than sorry”. Alan McKenzie, Acting General Secretary said today “Many people will have viewed with some horror the widely distributed news picture of the overturned tanker in West Lothian…

SCOTLAND’S TEACHING UNIONS URGE CAUTION ON JUDGING PISA RESULTS

Scotland’s two largest teaching unions, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) have noted today’s publication of PISA testing data but urged caution in how this data is viewed.  Both unions believe that, while the PISA data offers some interesting areas for debate, its worth in measuring the value of any country’s education system is limited. The EIS and the SSTA urge the Scottish Government and Opposition Parties to glance briefly at this data…