SSTA News
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SSTA Newsletter – July 2023
The July 2023 Newsletter is now available for members to download. The newsletter contains information from the 78th Annual Congress of the SSTA, including the Presidential Address, Report of the General Secretary, motions passed at Congress and the Financial Statement.
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Members Update – June 2023
Education Reform – “the views of teachers will be key to Scotland’s education reform journey”. With the publication of the ‘All Learners in Scotland Matter’ and ‘It’s Our Future’ reports, Jenny Gilruth MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills said, “the views of teachers will be key to Scotland’s education reform journey”. The Cabinet Secretary has asked all schools to…
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Report of the General Secretary
SSTA General Secretary Report to Congress 2023 Friday 12 May 2023 What can happen in a year? Last year I said. We are on the verge of a new era in Scottish education. The things that we have accepted as normal, if there ever could be anything normal in education, is about to change. But…
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Presidential Address to 78th Annual Congress
Catherine Nicol, SSTA President Address to the 78th Congress of the SSTA The Trade union movement is still a force to be reckoned with. Trade union members need to be alert to the neoliberal forces in the press, political sphere and social media that strive to create division in our ranks. There is no room…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
