The SSTA General Secretary Seamus Searson and incoming Vice President Euan Duncan met with the Cabinet Secretary, Angela Constance, to discuss the compelling evidence in the SSTA survey to seek an extension for the new Advanced Highers to be run in tandem with the existing qualifications for an extra year.

Seamus Searson said “the survey confirms the view of many secondary school teachers that more time is needed to bring about these important changes. However, the Minister maintained her position that there would not be an extension of the existing system beyond this year”.

Seamus Searson, went on to say “there will be thousands of teachers disappointed by the Minister’s decision as the overriding issue for SSTA members is that the young people following the existing qualification could be disadvantaged in the switch to the new examination”.

Euan Duncan said “the SSTA survey clearly showed that secondary teachers lacked confidence in their ability to deliver examination materials for new Higher Qualifications (54%) and in assessment procedures for the new Higher (68%). The Minister was of the view that to extend the existing qualification would be too disruptive for schools”.

Seamus Searson added “the SSTA is of the view that to allow schools to delay the implementation of the new Advanced Higher by one year would only be a continuation of the existing situation and would have no impact on schools. There could be a small inconvenience to the Scottish Qualification Agency (SQA) but its role is to support schools and seek the best outcomes of Students. I hope the SQA would agree that the students must come first”.

Further information from

Seamus Searson
General Secretary
0131 313 7300

The SSTA has today released results of its survey on the New Higher Qualifications. The response to the survey has been overwhelming and it highlights a teacher crisis in confidence.

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “the survey confirms the view of many secondary school teachers that more time is needed to bring about these important changes. We continue to be alarmed by the clear lack of confidence being expressed by our members particularly in terms of the materials required and in their ability to assess pupils in the New Higher Qualifications. Such alarming rates of lack of confidence must be acted upon. If a teacher lacks confidence then this will be quickly transferred to the young people”.

“Equally alarming is the finding that nearly 54% of respondent indicated no confidence in their ability to deliver course materials for new Higher Qualifications and 68% indicated their lack of confidence in assessment procedures for the new Higher”.

“Furthermore, our survey attempted to capture the attitude of our members to the quality of support being offered. It is clear that the great area of dissatisfaction is with Education Scotland (79% dissatisfaction) and the SQA (82% dissatisfaction)”.

The SSTA teacher survey showed that

• 54% were not confident in their ability to deliver appropriate course materials
• 68% were not confident in their ability to assess pupils for the new Higher Qualifications
• 42% were presenting pupils this year in the old Higher Qualifications
• 92% believed that School Working Time Agreements gave insufficient time to implement the New Higher courses/qualifications
• 79% not satisfied with support from Education Scotland
• 82% not satisfied with support from SQA
• 76% not satisfied with support from Local Authorities
• 55% not satisfied with support from the school

The SSTA will be meeting Cabinet Secretary, Angela Constance, this week and believes this survey is further compelling evidence for the new Advanced Highers to be run in tandem with the existing qualifications for an extra year.

Comments made by SSTA members in the survey

“Over assessment has created serious workload issues, taking away from teaching and is very demoralising for pupils”

“In 30 years of teaching I have never experienced stress levels and workload issues like I have in the past few years.  I feel sorry for the young teachers coming into the profession as their work/life balance is extremely poor”.

“The amount of paperwork surrounding each qualification and the micromanagement of assessment standards is beyond ridiculous”.

“I’ve been teaching for 25 years; I’ve never felt so uncertain of my own subject’s curriculum, nor so much like a rudderless ship”.

Robert Macmillan, SSTA Acting President said

“We hope that the Cabinet Secretary will reconsider her decision in the light of these comments and present circumstances, and allow schools to delay implementation of the new CfE Advanced Higher by one year if they wish, as many opted to for the new Higher. This practical measure would demonstrate to secondary teachers that the Government is genuinely listening to their concerns and will show the public that the educational needs of young people are put first. The overriding concern of SSTA members is that the race to bring about change will adversely impact on our young people”.

Further information from

Seamus Searson
General Secretary
0131 313 7300

Please find attached the results of the survey. The survey was conducted in February 2015 and had 919 responses covering all subject areas.

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said “we continue to be alarmed by the lack of respect for teachers’ professional judgement shown by the Cabinet Secretary Angela Constance in refusing to sanction a dual running of the Advanced Highers in 2015/2016. The overriding concern of SSTA members is this will adversely impact on our young people”.

Angela Constance said, on 3 February, that she had not yet heard a “compelling case” for new Advanced Highers to be run in tandem with the existing qualifications for an extra year. This is in spite of the SSTA writing to the new Cabinet Minister with detailed concerns on the dangers of pushing ahead on 15 January.

The SSTA used evidence brought forward from members in an Edinburgh Secondary School which echoed the views and experiences of SSTA members across Scotland.

The SSTA members in the school had embraced Curriculum for Excellence from its inception but felt that the manageability of the changes was overwhelming and it would be to the detriment of the young people in their school if flexibility was blocked.

It appears that

• the race to implement is more important than the needs of the students
• the difference in the examinations has been under-estimated
• the continuous expectation that teachers will deliver improvements regardless of the extra planning and increased assessment despite the lack of materials and the time to study and prepare materials

In addition to these concerns, the teachers pointed out the following:

• We are still trying to evaluate, amend and develop National 4/5 courses.
• We are trying to meet the needs of all learners by developing National 3 courses, which we did not have time to offer last year.
• We need to adapt National 4/5 courses to meet the needs of mixed level classes.
• We have to maintain the learning and teaching experience for all year groups, who have come to expect engaging lessons. Currently we have too little time for daily planning of lessons for pupils in S1-S3 and our ‘new’ broad general education courses have still not been evaluated and amended, due to lack of time.

Robert Macmillan, SSTA Acting President said

“We hope that the Cabinet Secretary will reconsider her decision in the light of these comments and present circumstances, and allow schools to delay implementation of the new CfE Advanced Higher by one year if they wish, as many opted to for the new Higher. This practical measure would demonstrate to secondary teachers that the Government is genuinely listening to their concerns and will show the public that the educational needs of young people are put first”.

Seamus Searson added

“Throughout the implementation of CfE the SSTA has attempted to signal real concerns about progress. We have been careful about appearing alarmist and at all times wished to contribute positively to its successful implementation. There is still time to achieve this and it is for that reason we insist that that the Cabinet Secretary listens to the voice of the professionals in our schools”.

Further information from

Seamus Searson
General Secretary
0131 313 7300

Advanced Higher 2015-2016 11 feb 15