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Newsletter - June 2024

The June 2024 SSTA Newsletter is now available for members to download. The newsletter includes articles on: Presidential Address to Congress 2024 Report of the General Secretary Motions Passed at Congress 2024 Financial Statement to members Health and Safety Reps Training Fund education: An urgent appeal to the G7

Member Bulletin – 21 June 2024

The SNCT Pay Claim 2024-2025 – No improved offer received The SNCT Teachers’ Side pay claim for 2024-2025 is 6.5% for all SNCT grades from August 2024 and was made in January 2024.  The SNCT Teachers’ Side unanimously rejected the pay offer made on 5 June on behalf of all the teacher unions. Please follow the link to the COSLA Pay Offer Letter 4 June 2024 to see details of the rejected offer.The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs (SSTA, EIS, COSLA and Scottish Government) …

Member Bulletin – 5 June 2024

The SNCT Pay Claim 2024-2025 – Pay Offer Rejected The SNCT Teachers’ Side pay claim for 2024-2025 is 6.5% for all SNCT grades from August 2024 was made in January 2024.  The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs (SSTA, EIS, COSLA and Scottish Government)  met on 4 June and a pay offer was issued by the employers. The pay offer was to cover the SNCT Pay Year 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025 and consists of: A 2% undifferentiated increase on all SNCT pay…
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Report of the General Secretary- 79th Annual Congress of the SSTA

The SSTA is entering its 80th year having been established in 1944. The focus of the SSTA was and still is, secondary teachers and secondary education. Over the years the SSTA has dealt with many challenges but throughout its journey it remained true to the position of its members. The SSTA is a very principled union but also a pragmatic one. The SSTA Has never accepted that things cannot be changed but has worked to find solutions to problems, impasses,…
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Presidential Address to 79th Annual Congress of the SSTA

At the end of congress last year, I was honoured to have our Immediate Past President, Catherine Nicol, hand over the Presidency to me. It has been a busy year.  To say that it has been exhilarating and an enormous learning curve is understating the last year. Catherine gave me a lift home at the end of congress, and we chatted about what lay ahead.  One thing I knew for certain was that I already knew what my theme was…
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Member Bulletin - 30 April 2024

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) Pay Claim 2024-2025 The SNCT Teachers’ Side pay claim for 2024-2025 was submitted in January. The claim for 6.5% for all SNCT grades from August 2024 was acknowledged by the employers at the SNCT meeting in February.The SNCT Extended Joint Chairs (SSTA, EIS, COSLA and Scottish Government) met prior to Easter where no pay offer was made. COSLA stated it was waiting for a Council Leaders meeting on 27 April before moving forward…
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92% OF LESSONS INTERRUPTED BY PUPIL MOBILE PHONES

In the 2023 SSTA survey, 71% of members highlighted that the misuse of mobile phones was having an impact on poor pupil behaviour and learning. The SSTA Education Committee wanted to get further information on the use of mobile phones in school and commissioned a survey to find out members views. The survey took place in February 2024 with 1,451 members responding. Seamus Searson SSTA General Secretary said. “92% of members said their lessons were being interrupted by asking pupils…
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Members Bulletin - 12 March 2024

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) Pay Claim 2024-2025 The SNCT Teachers’ Side pay claim for 2024-2025 was submitted in January. The claim for 6.5% for all SNCT grades from August 2024 was acknowledged by the employers at the SNCT meeting in February. COSLA stated at the meeting that it was in discussions with the Scottish Government regarding local authority funding and public sector pay. It was also waiting for the Westminster Budget on 6 March to see if…
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Children’s Education at Risk by Cutting Teacher Numbers

Children’s Education at Risk by Cutting Teacher Numbers As Scottish Councils are setting education budgets for 2024-2025 the SSTA is receiving reports of education cuts with teachers and educational support staff numbers being reduced. Seamus Searson SSTA General Secretary said: “It's that time of the year again. Teachers are tired of being used as a ‘political football’ in the funding battle with the Scottish Government. The Councils have used this tactic in previous years to force money from the Government.…
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SSTA Mobile Phone Survey

The SSTA has taken a stance to support teachers to use their own discretion when it comes to the use of mobile phones in their classes. The reason for this position was due to the poor access to computers, mobile devices and connectivity to the internet (WiFi). Over the past few years there has been growing concern that the use of mobile phones is impacting on pupils learning, their health and wellbeing and behaviour.The OECD  United Nations has warned of…