Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association

Category: Information for Members

  • SSTA Members’ Briefing

    The Association is holding a series of Members’ briefing around the country during the month of September. All members are encouraged to attend

    Agenda

    1. General Secretary – Members’ Update, Workload, Industrial Action and Pay
    2. Named Person – Briefing including how to manage in school
    3. Pensions – How to make your pension work for you and retiring at 60?

    The briefing will start at 5.00pm and be repeated at 7.00pm.

    Refreshments will be available prior to the start of both meetings.

    Places for the briefing’s can be booked on this page

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    Places for the briefing’s can be booked on this page

  • SSTA Newsletter

    Additional Newsletter available to download

    Congress 2016 additional -print

  • SSTA Newsletter – Congress 2016

    The post Congress 2016 newsletter is now available for members to download.

    SSTA Newsletter Congress 2016

  • SSTA moves to Industrial Action Ballot to cut Teacher Workload

    The SSTA National Executive has sanctioned a formal ballot for Industrial Action to cut teacher workload. The National Executive considered the recent SSTA Indicative Ballot and are of the view that it had no option but to move to a formal ballot to protect its members. The Indicative Ballot showed that members were unhappy with the current proposals, with 91% of respondents prepared take industrial action short of strike action and 64% prepared to take strike action if necessary.

    Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “Teacher workload has a been the major issue for teachers for a number of years. The recent guidance from Education Scotland and SQA has not addressed teacher workload and SSTA cannot let the overload of teachers continue. In the short term SSTA members across Scotland are asking for some action to be taken to address the workload that is demoralising teachers in the 2016-2017 qualification cycle.

    “The SSTA acknowledges the statements that John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary, has made on cutting teacher workload but teachers in schools have had promises made in the past which have not come to fruition. The SSTA hopes action can be taken quickly to resolve this dispute”.

    Seamus Searson added “Teachers have insufficient time to carry out the over-bureaucratic arrangements set out by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The SSTA is requesting that the Cabinet Secretary John Swinney together with Local Authorities, as the employers of teachers, take control of the situation and impose limits on teacher time being spent on such activities that are taking teachers away from teaching and learning”.

    Euan Duncan, SSTA President said “Much of a teacher’s time is now taken up with SQA assessments and verification of assessments within their school and local area. Should any teacher decide to keep their working week within the ‘working time agreement’, the reality is that they would be unable to develop the necessary resources for learning and teaching”.

    Further information from

    Seamus Searson
    General Secretary

    0131 313 7300

  • SSTA prepared to take action to cut Teacher Workload

    The SSTA has completed an Indicative Ballot of its members to assess the measures proposed by the Government to reduce teacher workload with a focus on the assessment required for National Qualifications. This was in response to SSTA members across Scotland asking for some action to be taken to address the workload that is demoralising teachers in the current qualification cycle.

    Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “the ballot clearly shows that members are unhappy with the current proposals with 91% of respondents prepared take industrial action short of strike action. 64% are prepared to take strike action if necessary”.

    The ballot also found that

    • The Government’s ‘Tackling Bureaucracy Report – March 2015’ had not reduced workload in 96% of schools.
    • 96% of respondents lacked confidence in the proposed SQA measures to reduce workload in the 2016-17 session.
    • 94% of respondents lacked confidence in the proposed SQA measures to reduce workload in the future.

    Seamus Searson added “Teachers have insufficient time to carry out the over-bureaucratic arrangements set out by Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The SSTA is requesting that the new Cabinet Secretary John Swinney together with Local Authorities, as the employers of teachers, take control of the situation and impose limits on teacher time being spent on such activities that are taking teachers away from teaching and learning”.

    Euan Duncan, SSTA President said “Much of a teacher’s time is now taken up with SQA assessments and verification of assessments within their school and local area. Should any teacher decide to keep their working week within the ‘working time agreement’, the reality is that they would be unable to develop the necessary resources for learning and teaching”.

     

    Further information from

    Seamus Searson
    General Secretary

    0131 313 7300

    7 June 2016

  • SSTA Annual Congress 2016 #SSTA16

    The Association held it’s 72nd Annual Congress on Friday 20 May and Saturday 21 May 2016 at Crieff Hydro.

    This page will be updated with links to Reports and with video recordings of speeches and motions as they become available online.

    Motions

    Motions that were passed at Congress 2016 can be viewed here.

    Reports

    The Reports of the Committee’s can be found on this page.

    Euan Duncan’s Presidential Address

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    Report of the General Secretary

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    Guest Speech from Professor John Visser, The University of Northampton

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    Ken Muir, GTCS Chief Executive address Congress and answers members questions.

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    Past President, Margaret Smith receives her Life Membership of the SSTA

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    Past President, Alan McKenzie receives his Life Membership of the SSTA

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  • 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, the Government published the ‘Tackling Bureaucracy – Follow-up Report’ that had been intended to reduce teacher workload.

    In November 2015, the SSTA conducted a members’ survey on teacher workload that looked at the effectiveness of the ‘Tackling Bureaucracy’ report and the impact of National Qualifications. Results of members’ survey.

    In December 2015, the SSTA National Council agreed to conduct an Indicative Ballot of members on taking measures to reduce teacher workload.

    In January 2016, the Government established the Assessment and National Qualification Working Group in response to the demand to reduce teacher workload. The group was tasked to make recommendations for the 2016-2017 session and fundamental changes to the system for the long term. The SSTA decided to delay moving forward with the Indicative Ballot until a report was released.

    In April 2016, the SSTA National Executive considered the initial report and sought further clarification from the SQA on workload reductions in the 2016-2017 session.  SSTA Members’ Bulletin on National Qualifications.

    The SSTA is now moving forward with an Indicative Ballot of members on the measures proposed to reduce teacher workload and the action members are prepared to take to reduce workload.

    The Indicative Ballot will open on Thursday 19 May 2016 and close at 5pm on Thursday 2 June 2016.  Emails with unique voting codes are being sent out to members on Thursday 19 May 2016.  Members who have not received an email by Friday 20 May 2016, should contact SSTA HQ at info@ssta.org.uk with details of their  work and personal email addresses.  Please check the junk/spam folder on your email account before doing so as the email could have been incorrectly flagged as spam.

  • 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 essential your email details are up to date to participate in the ballot.

    National Qualifications - Members Bulletin
    National Qualifications – Members Bulletin

  • 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 calling 0131 313 7300 with a note of their email address(es).

    Background

    Following a survey of members in December 2015 which 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 to produce a report, by the end of March that would reduce teacher workload in the 2016-17 cycle. The SSTA participated in the working group and pushed hard for the recognition of the importance of the teachers’ professional judgement in the process. The working group report was completed on 21 April and has been circulated to members of the CfE Management Board. Until the CfE Management Board meets the report cannot be published to teachers in schools.

    The SSTA National Executive has considered the report and has sought clarifications of the measures proposed within the report to reduce teacher workload in the 2016-17 cycle. The SSTA National Executive has prepared a report for members of the proposals and is seeking members’ views on the extent of the workload reductions.

  • 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 to produce a report, by the end of March that would reduce teacher workload in the 2016-17 cycle. The SSTA participated in the working group and pushed hard for the recognition of the importance of the teachers’ professional judgement in the process. The working group report was completed on 21 April and has been circulated to members of the CfE Management Board. Until the CfE Management Board meets the report cannot be published to teachers in schools.

    The SSTA National Executive has considered the report and is seeking clarifications of the measures proposed within the report to reduce teacher workload. As part of that process SSTA will be meeting with SQA to identify the measures that will reduce teacher workload in the 2016-17 cycle. The SSTA National Executive will prepare a report for members of the proposals and will seek members’ views on the extent of the workload reductions.

    Please ensure the SSTA Head Office has your current email address as the indicative ballot will be conducted on-line.

    Printable Version