Category: Information for Members

Secondary Teachers Tell SQA To Think Again

The SSTA conducted a survey of members delivering national qualifications following the SQA announcement that National Qualifications course assessments in session 2023-24 will return to full requirements – including reinstating coursework and exam assessment and the National 4 added value unit. The majority of SSTA members are opposed to the change with only 19% wanting a return to the pre-pandemic arrangements.

Seamus Searson, General Secretary said

“The SSTA survey has shown that SQA must go back and reconsider its decision when pupils and teachers are still in the process of education recovery. To reintroduce pre-pandemic exam arrangements in 2024 when teachers say that only 12% pupils are ready is foolhardy by an organisation that is oblivious of the realities in secondary schools”.

“The damage to pupils’ learning and the task for teachers in trying to bridge the gap cannot be underestimated, and to make more changes to qualifications when the whole qualification system is about to change requires the SQA to think again. Members are concerned about the wellbeing of their pupils and the immeasurable workload demands on a profession that is already ‘on its knees’. The SQA needs to listen to the teachers who are in schools everyday trying to support pupils and deliver the national qualifications. I challenge the SQA to engage with the profession and consider the findings of the SSTA survey”.

“68% of members said no to a return of pre-pandemic arrangements with only 19% supporting a return SSTA members in favour of return to pre-pandemic SQA arrangements. However, many members sought a phased return over a number of years allowing time for preparation of materials and restructuring of courses in addition of time for upskilling their pupils”.

The largest resistance to the SQA proposals came from teachers delivering higher qualification with up to 91% in some subjects.

Music	91%
Modern Studies	91%
Geography	88%
Art and Design	85%
Modern Foreign Languages	85%
Biology	85%
Physics	85%
Chemistry	83%
Religious Moral Education	79%
History	75%
Mathematics	70%
Drama	69%
Home Economics	69%
English	64%
Technological Education	64%
Physical Education	59%
Computing Science	56%
Business Education	44%

“The survey highlighted the range of resistance to the SQA imposition between different subjects and at different national qualification level. Only 30% of members saw the benefit of reintroduction of measures as a benefit at National 4 whilst only 15% sought a return at Higher”.

30% – National 4

(45% PE and Maths, 44% Business Ed, and 42% Computing Science)

26% – National 5

(51% Maths, 49% Business Education, 44% PE and 42% Music)

15% – Higher

(44% Business Ed, 32% PE and 27% Technological Ed)

18% – Advance Higher

(29% Business Ed, 26% Physic, 25% English, and 23% Art & Design)

“71% of teachers said that their pupils would need a lot or a great deal of support to be able to meet the requirements of the pre-pandemic arrangements. In addition, 76% said that increase in teacher workload would go up a lot or a great deal. This is a situation that cannot be ignored and I hope the Scottish Government will intervene and protect our pupils who already struggling and teachers that have no capacity to meet these imposed changes”.

[Ends]

Please note: the SSTA survey received 2120 responses.

Appendices

10/05/2023

SQA 2024 – 90% of Teachers say their Pupils are not ready

Following the SQA announcement that National Qualifications course assessments in session 2023-24 will return to full requirements – including reinstating coursework and exam assessment and the National 4 added value unit – the SSTA sought views of members. In responding to the survey, secondary teachers who are delivering national qualifications were clearly opposed to a full return. More than 2,000 members have responded in a week with the survey closing on Friday.

Seamus Searson, General Secretary said.
“The initial results indicate that 90% of teachers believe that their pupils are not ready for a full return of exam requirements. The damage to pupils’ learning and the task for teachers in trying bridge the gap cannot be underestimated, and to make more changes to qualifications when the whole qualification system is about to change is at best foolhardy and at worst negligent”.

“The SQA is to be abolished and a new body established in 2024. This is the SQA’s last attempt to take control and is not about putting the pupils front and centre. The SQA has ignored the impact of the pandemic upon pupils and teachers and is set upon its own agenda which is more concerned about cementing its position in the education landscape”.

“Teachers do remember the damage caused by the SQA when it introduced the Alternative Certification Model (ACM) in 2020 which put considerable stress and workload pressure on pupils and teachers in the middle of a pandemic. It was also the SQA that created the grading fiasco that resulted in a confidence vote and potential resignation of the DFM. These are other examples of the SQA not listening to the profession, the teachers in schools. Hopefully the SQA will listen this time”.

“The survey did show that there was a willingness in some subjects and at some levels to introduce a phased change to the current arrangements to improve the opportunities of some pupils. The SQA response seems to ignore the impact of covid and assumes that everything is back to normal. Further details of the subjects and levels to follow the close of the survey”.

SSTA members have said.

“To return to pre pandemic course structure would be a major concern! The majority of our students really struggled to meet deadlines this session and this includes our very able pupils! We simply don’t have enough class contact time next session to go back, I believe there will be even more blank spaces in pupils folios and to return to full courses content pupil grades will decline even more”.

“This is a ridiculous decision by the SQA. It is likely to tip many teachers and pupils over the edge as far as workload issues and stress are concerned. In the past I have worked for the SQA as a marker. I feel unable to do this anymore as I no longer want to be in any way associated with a dictatorial and unsympathetic employer”.

“Teachers are about to embrace study leave and yet again we are left wondering if time has to be spent planning or a full course return as this will mean making new resources and altering timeliness etc”.

“I hope the SQA listen to the views of teachers and act on our feedback. Another year keeping course content as it is would he in the best interest for all involved”.

“As a Guidance Teacher we see the effect of SQA exams on the health and wellbeing of pupils. It’s too much for pupils. Too much change. It would be better to wait until the Hayward Review is complete”.

“Bringing back elements at Higher and Advanced Higher when staff have been stretched and unable to cover the relevant work for the last two years is unrealistic. It could be reintroduced at N5 this year, Higher the following session and Advanced Higher the session after that. It is an unfair demand of Higher and AH pupils this year”.

“Fine with full requirement for National 5, but not Higher and Adv Higher, this would need to be a staggered approach due to the nature of courses i.e. can’t fully reinstate topics across all course since prior learning at previous course level has not occurred”.

“The pandemic has impacted on subjects being taught in BGE to truly prepare students with the skills for Senior Phase. This BGE moving into Senior Phase has had a heavily disrupted BGE and not had the opportunity to fully develop skills in preparation for Senior Phase. SQA need to take that into account. There is no spare months to allow catch up. Particularly for practical subjects”.

“The removal of the writing assignment at Higher and NAT 5 level had been the latest change to the course and was not one which I believed added any value. It only meant additional teaching time being spent on the preparation and assessment of this component. It was a pointless and time-consuming exercise for pupils and teachers with no benefit to pupil learning. This has further strengthened the lack of confidence and respect I feel for the SQA. I appreciate the SSTA prompt response to this announcement”.

Please note: 53% of respondents have marked or are markers for the SQA with only 35% intending to mark for the SQA in the future.

The Survey will close on Friday 28 April with a full report to follow.

26/04/2023
SSTA ready to Boycott the SQA Exams next year

The SQA has announced that National Qualifications course assessments in session 2023-24 will return to full requirements – including reinstating coursework and exam assessment and the National 4 added value unit.

Seamus Searson SSTA General Secretary said:

“The SQA pushed this decision out on a day when all focus is on Holyrood, just two days before the Easter break when teachers and learners are in the final furlong for the 2023 exams. This is a bad news story for all secondary school teachers and the young people they teach”.

“I am absolutely astounded by this message from the SQA. The SQA needs a reality check as it has totally misread the situation in secondary schools. I have not spoken to a single secondary school teacher who believes their pupils are ready to return to full exam requirements. The SSTA has, at every turn, and in meetings with the Cabinet Secretary and with the SQA, advocated for interim measures to remain in place in 2024 and beyond.

“The long-term damage to pupils, caused by the pandemic, is no secret. Every secondary teacher in the country knows that pupils are still not ready to return to the previous regime. Any resumption of ‘normal’ arrangements is more about SQA taking back control and cementing a place for itself in the developing education landscape. This risks giving an impression that the pandemic never happened, and that education recovery is just a nonsense to which the SQA pays lip service”.

“This return flies in the face of common sense when the Hayward Review is going to change the assessment and qualifications system in 2025 and beyond. To reintroduce the ‘normal’ when it could all change again in the next couple of years is just going to add to teacher workload and cause further damage to teachers’ health and wellbeing.

“Moreover, the SSTA has been refused a place at the National Qualifications Strategic Group. When challenged, the SQA has stated that it needs only one teacher representative. Our view is that they do not really want to hear what secondary teachers think. This is the same group that introduced the Alternative Certification Model (ACM) during Covid which was roundly condemned as a workload nightmare by all secondary teachers”.

“Any idea that the SQA has engaged with the education community carries the risk of being accused of contempt for secondary school teachers. This proposal shows that it hasn’t listened and is following its own agenda.

“The SSTA has already had calls from members to boycott the return of the full requirements and I cannot see the call being rejected. The SSTA says NO to bureaucrats setting the agenda and heaping more stress and pressure on a profession that is on its knees”.

30/03/2023
Teachers Face “Aggression Epidemic”

The SSTA Additional Support Needs and Education Committees organised a members’ consultative survey to assess the increasing evidence of disruptive pupil behaviour in secondary schools. 2478 members responding to the survey.

The survey revealed both the extent of verbal and physical aggression being faced by teachers in Scottish secondary schools as well as systemic failures to address these issues.

While facing verbal aggression at work would be uncommon in most occupations, 75% of secondary teachers reported having experienced verbal aggression in the past year. Indeed, even more seriously, 1 in 8 secondary teachers reported that they had been physically assaulted at work over that period. Perhaps it is not surprising that 75% of secondary teachers reported not feeling safe at work.

At the same time, the extent of violence against teachers may not be fully appreciated by Local Authorities as only a third of those secondary teachers who had been assaulted went on to complete a Violent Incident Form or equivalent. From comments provided, it appears that this may be due to a deep level of scepticism over whether officially recording Violent Incidents makes any difference in practice, while other comments suggest that some teachers had been actively discouraged from completing them by senior management.

Similarly, while most people assaulted at work would think it appropriate to report such incidents to the Police, only 4% of teachers who had been assaulted at work took that route. Teachers reported not doing so for a variety of reasons, ranging from fear the police would not take the reports seriously, to concerns it would not help the situation. Pupils over the age of 12 have reached the age of criminal responsibility and can be charged with offences, including assault, but many teachers – even when victims – did not wish to see this happen.

Schools continue to have the legal power to exclude pupils for seriously unacceptable behaviour but there is pressure from government and local authorities to see a fall in the usage of short-term exclusions, especially for care-experienced young people. Official figures confirm that there has been such a reduction in recent years but, of course, this does not mean that less incidents of seriously unacceptable behaviour are occurring – merely that less of those incidents are resulting in short-term exclusions being applied. The survey provided some evidence to support this belief in that two-thirds of teachers reported that pupils who had committed verbal or physical aggression against them were returned to their classes before the matter had been resolved.

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary, was scathing in his response to the findings stating :

“This survey has provided clear evidence of an aggression epidemic sweeping through our schools which has left many teachers feeling unsafe at work and unsupported by employers who have a legal duty to ensure their health and safety”.

“No teacher should have to go to work worried in case they will be a victim of verbal aggression or even assault that day. School managements must ensure that appropriate actions are taken in response to violence and verbal aggression against staff, including properly risk assessing pupils with a propensity for violent outbursts before any decision is taken to return those pupils to their classes.”

21/03/2023
Teacher Pay Settlement 2022 – 2024
At the SNCT Teachers’ Panel meeting on Wednesday 14 March to consider the 2022-2024 pay offer. The pay offer was formally accepted by all unions and the decision was communicated to employers at the close of the meeting. The SNCT Handbook is to be updated to include
Local authorities will be planning to make the changes in salaries including ‘back pay’ and will be advising all employees of payment arrangements.

Claiming ‘Back Pay’

The pay changes will be automatic to most members who have continued to be employed by the same local authority. However, the SSTA wishes to advise members who have retired or left the profession during the period of the pay settlement are required to make a ‘back pay’ claim to their previous employing authority.

In addition, members that have moved local authority or gained a promotion are also required to make a ‘back pay’ claim.

For further information, please follow the link to a SSTA proforma to assist in making the claim.
15/03/2023
SSTA Pay Ballot – Vote to Accept

The SSTA conducted a formal pay ballot of members on the latest pay offer from the employers (COSLA). Members voted overwhelmingly to accept and brought the SSTA pay dispute and further industrial action to an end.

The SSTA members returned a 85.3% in favour of accepting with 14.7% rejecting the latest offer. The formal ballot had a turnout of 79.9%.

Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary said.

“The SSTA is an autonomous teachers’ union and the response to the ballot gave a clear statement. The membership has determined to accept the latest pay offer. Throughout the period of industrial action, the SSTA has taken a measured approach, and has been willing to negotiate to find a solution to the pay dispute”.

“The SSTA is proud to be a member-led union, and the ballot is a fundamental part of our democratic process. The SSTA will be voting to accept this offer at the next SNCT meeting and asserting that the back pay due is in teachers’ pay packets as soon as possible. Hopefully, the employers will be prepared to act quickly”.

“However, the SSTA has a major concern over the unnecessary pay cap; this seems to be an act of political dogma rather than a rational proposal. The inclusion of this is a considerable barrier in the professional career structure for secondary school teachers. The career ladder has been stifled for many years: the number of posts of responsibility has been cut severely. Posts such as these are needed in secondary schools as they are essential for good management systems. The reduction in the number of posts with responsibility attached to them has put good order in schools at risk; this is a fundamental requirement for a successful school. It is no surprise that teachers are walking away and this salary cap is just a ‘slap in the face’ to teachers in senior positions in schools”.

Catherine Nicol, SSTA President said.

“This dispute could, and should, have been resolved many months ago. Scottish Government and COSLA should have been more prepared to negotiate with teacher unions properly and long before they did. This showed a lack of respect for the collective bargaining process that is in place and the unions had no option but to embark on strike action. Many days of school closures causing children to miss their education should and could have been prevented. Lessons on negotiating with teacher unions must be learnt, the process must be taken seriously in future”.

“SSTA members have been frustrated by the delay in the delivery of a pay award that should have been paid in April last year. They have been keen to get back to work and to support their pupils as they prepare for the forthcoming examinations”.

“I am proud to be the SSTA President, as the SSTA is the only teachers’ union that speaks exclusively from the perspective of teachers that work in the secondary sector, and I make no apology for this. The SSTA speaks and fights, solely on behalf of those that hold posts in Scottish Secondary schools.

09/03/2023
SSTA FORMAL PAY BALLOT – 6 March 2023
The SSTA has launched a formal ballot on the improved pay offer received from COSLA . The SSTA is advising all members to consider carefully the details of the pay offer. Please note that it is structured differently from the previous pay offer that members were asked to consider in the consultative survey in February.

The offer is for 28 months and is in three parts for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 July 2024:
- A 7% increase at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 April 2022, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over, where a £5,600 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.
- A further increase of 5% at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 April 2023, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over where a £4,000 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.
- A further increase of 2% at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 January 2024, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over where a £1,600 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.
A draft set of salary scales based on the revised pay offer can be found here.

The formal online ballot will be conducted by Mi-Voice, an independent scrutineer and will close at 4.00pm on Thursday 9 March 2023. It is vitally important that members respond as quickly as possible to ensure that all members’ views can be considered.

The SSTA is an autonomous teachers’ union and will determine its own position on pay and future industrial action following the outcome of this formal ballot. As a member-led union, the ballot is a fundamental part of our democratic process, and it will be acted upon by the SSTA elected-member committees.

Remember the SSTA is the only teachers’ union that speaks solely on behalf of Scottish Secondary teachers. Every member’s view is important!

The email invitation to take part in the ballot will be sent out by Mi-Voice at approx. 4.30pm on Monday 6 March 2023 from elections@mi-voice.com. The email will be sent to members preferred email addresses. If you cannot see the email, please check the junk/spam folder.

Should you be unable to find your ballot email, you can request that the email is re-sent by visiting www.mi-vote.com/secure/ssta and entering the required information.
06/03/2023
Teachers’ Pay Dispute 2022-2023

The SSTA National Executive met today to consider the next steps of the SSTA pay campaign. The Executive had identified dates for further industrial action in the event of the employers failing to produce an improved pay offer.

However, just after 3.00pm today an improved pay offer was received from COSLA and as previously agreed by the SSTA Salaries Committee and National Executive the latest pay offer will be put to members. The SSTA will conduct a formal online ballot undertaken by an independent scrutineer next week with further details for the ballot to be issued early next week

03/03/2023
SSTA STATEMENT TO MEMBERS – PAY DISPUTE – 24 FEBRUARY 2023

Following a meeting of the SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee and National Executive this evening the following statement has been released.

The SSTA conducted a consultative survey of all members in local authorities, to gauge members’ views and comments on the employers pay offer (14 February 2023). The committees would like to thank all members who contributed to the survey that had a 76% response.

The SSTA position has been to build strike action, apply pressure on the Scottish Government and COSLA and to bring the pay dispute to settlement. The SSTA has embarked on a measured campaign that has led to a series of meetings of all sides. At each stage SSTA sought to increase opportunities for negotiation. Following the failure of the employers to present a new pay offer the SSTA Executive, at its meeting on 20 January, declared two further days of strike action to take place on 28 February and 1 March.

Eventually, on the 14 February a new pay offer was received. The SSTA Executive made the decision to consult members on the latest offer, to gauge members’ views and help to give a steer as to the next steps in the pay campaign.

The consultative survey responses contained a wide range of views and has highlighted the strong feelings of members, not only on teachers’ pay but the damaging impact teacher workload is having on members.

The members survey returned a very marginal vote in favour of accepting the pay offer. However, the pay offer was rejected by the SNCT Teachers’ Side and therefore the pay offer of 14 February has fallen. Discussions within the SNCT are continuing for an improved offer to be brought forward.

The SSTA National Executive has unanimously agreed in light of the members response in the survey to defer the industrial action planned on 28 February and 1 March in the expectation of an improved pay offer in the coming days.

The SSTA will in conjunction with other teacher unions reinstate the industrial action should an improved pay offer not be forthcoming

24/02/2023
SSTA Consultative Survey on 14 February Pay Offer

The SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee decided at its meeting on Wednesday 15 February to consult with members on the latest employers’ pay offer in order to gauge members’ views. The Committee believes it is important to consult members on any significant development in the pay dispute. All members employed by a local authority are invited to participate in the electronic consultative survey.

The SNCT Teachers’ Pay Claim for 2022-2023 is for a 10% uplift for all SNCT pay grades. No pay claim has been made by the SNCT Teachers’ Side for 2023-2024 due to the focus on resolving the current year pay dispute. It is important to remember that any pay offer can only be accepted or rejected by the SNCT Teachers’ Panel not by any individual union. As you will recall SSTA rejected the pay offer of 2021-2022, but was outvoted at the SNCT.

The employers (COSLA) issued a pay offer late on Tuesday 14 February that gave an increase on the previous offer of 5% in the current year and the inclusion of an offer from April 2023. The term of the offer covers the period April 2022 to March 2024.

A 6% increase at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 April 2022, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over, where a £4,800 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.

A further increase of 5.5 % at all SNCT pay points with effect from 1 April 2023, with a cap at a starting salary of £80,000 or over where a £4,400 flat rate uplift to salary will apply.

The COSLA offer can be found here.

The impact of the proposed increase can be seen in the attached draft pay scales.

The members’ consultative survey will commence on Thursday 16 February and will close on Friday 24 February at 1.00pm. The email invitations will be sent out this afternoon to the ‘prefered’ email address we hold for members.

The SSTA Salaries and Executive Committees urges all members to participate in the survey as this is vital in deciding the next steps of the SSTA pay campaign.

16/02/2023