SSTA News

MCCRONE – THE FINAL TEST Some five years ago after it was approved, the McCrone Agreement on pay and conditions for teachers faces its final test as 2006 approaches. The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association today warned its members that a crucial final stage of the implementation needs to be dealt with in coming weeks. “For…

UNION WARNS OF PENSIONS FIGHT In his New Year message to SSTA members, General Secretary, David Eaglesham, warned of the threat to pensions which will be faced in 2004. “Members will already be aware of the Government’s proposals to increase the pension age for teachers from 60 to 65 from 2006 for new entrants and…

CURB ON UNRULY PARENTS The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association today outlined a proposal to deal with unacceptable behaviour by a small number of parents attending Parents’ Meetings in secondary schools in Scotland. The Association has noticed a significant rise in reports of incidents at Parents’ Meetings in which individual parents have become abusive and occasionally…

CONCERN FOR PUPIL HEALTH The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association today announced a campaign to highlight its concerns about the lack of legislative protection for children and young people with regard to health and safety whilst they are in schools. As the law stands at present, workers benefit from extensive heath and safety provisions in law…

SSTA WARNS OF IMPACT OF FALLING TEACHER NUMBERS The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association today warned of the short term impact of the increasing age profile of the teaching profession. “It is well documented that the age profile of teachers is hugely skewed to the top end and that the “bulge” is moving close to the…

The attached press release was issued on 26 March 2003 regarding the possibility of the Association balloting members in Argyll and Bute on industrial action over the authority’s proposal for Secondary Schools

The SSTA will today hand to Peter Peacock, Minister of Education, a petition from secondary teachers in Scotland who are outraged at the downgrading of over 2/3rds of promoted posts in secondary schools in Scotland. The handing over of the petition, collected under the banner of “Mail the Minister” will take place at Victoria Quay…

KIDS -V- CASHA RESPONSE TO RE-STRUCTURING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS What is the biggest challenge facing Scottish education today? Raising pupil attainment? Improving the quality of teaching? Introducing new, more appropriate courses and qualifications? Monitoring and improving pupil behaviour? Perhaps all of these? Given the much publicised “21st Century Agreement” between teachers, local authorities and the…

UNION WARNS ON FUTURE TEACHER SHORTAGES The Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association today warned local authorities not to risk future teacher shortages by reducing management posts in schools. “Many local authorities, for reasons best known to themselves, have recently decided to reduce the number of management posts in secondary schools. This particularly affects Principal Teacher posts,…