Scottish teachers strikes

[museumum]

How have other Scots found the teachers strikes?
I’m seeing a lot of stress from English parents I know on Fb as well as on mn but it seems to me in my bit of Scotland parents have said “fair dos” to the teachers and just got in with things/arrangements quietly.

I’m not sure this is necessarily good for the teachers cause….

interested to hear from other Scots around the country….?

The rules surrounding how unions put offers to their members also need to change - I was always under the impression that they had to be put to the vote, but apparently not.

Not pay related, sorry but probably the best thread to ask.

Can newly qualified teachers get recruited into private / independent schools or is that more likely with experience? Do you need to have studied at a particular university (e.g. Glasgow - RG) which I guess may be more desirable for secondary teaching, maybe not so much primary.

Also, can teachers work in ASN schools as NQTs or again do they need more experience or certain qualifications?

I'm just thinking of the employment opportunities.

Yes they can. Full GTCS registration can be obtained via the flexible route. Some of my ITE cohort did this, they were privately educated (some in the English system) so wanted to return to the exam diet they were familiar with and this made them more attractive to schools who offered GSSEs and A Levels.

Independent schools are actually quite free to employ who they like, for whatever reasons.

I have a friend who works in one and a teacher was employed in their dept because it helped with ‘diversity’ and made the school look more ‘worldly’. They were an nqt in my state school at the time, and really, weren’t great..fine, but not great.

From the outside looking it, it very much seems that the government have not done enough to agree a deal, hence all the disruption.
I am hacked off that it has gone on so long and that the senior phase have now been impacted by the loss of teaching. Many teachers that I have spoken to don’t want any more strike action but they are in a difficult position between their union and delivering education.
For those saying that they are well paid, they are educated professionals and they do not have an easy job. There are shortages in many subjects.l, it needs to be more attractive as a career and unfortunately that means more money.
Much like the NHS, it’s a complete mess.

I cannot BELIEVE that the NASUWT are recommending their members reject the 14.6% offer, calling it "paltry".

Totally not living in the real world.

As @Lidlfix says, Twitter is full of militant teachers who genuinely think they are being hard done by.

It's like a parallel universe.

Teachers (and their unions) have lost so much public support & are out of touch with reality. Delusional, even.

there Seems to be lots of teacher shortages in my kids secondary school. Endless stream of supply teachers for instance. Is that down to the lack of people applying or the council not funding the places? You hear about a lot of newly qualified teachers not being able to find jobs.

The still have to follow the Equality Act so should not have chosen a candidate because of their protected characteristic as that unlawfully discriminated against those without that characteristic.

Yes, I know that and this wasn’t obviously given as the main reason at the time. But it was definitely in the conversation and mentioned as one of the positives..

I think it will end up being accepted.
Although, to be clear, it isn’t a 14.6% uplift for a year.. it’s spread over 2 1/2 years.. which is the same as nhs have been given but over 2 years and with no strike days (so no money to help fund any back pay.)

I will accept the offer, because I don’t want more strike days, but I also don’t want the offer to be taken out of context.

There were no strike days because the NHS unions balloted their members - your unions decided to reject the offer without doing the same. If you chose to strike and lose money then that was your right obviously, but plenty didn’t - they went into schools, claimed their salary, and didn’t deliver any lessons.

I hope it is accepted - as you rightly say, it’s in line with other public sector workers.

Seems I'm not the only parent complaining about the impact on kids course work and exams.. Note - I dont vote Green or live in a targeted constituency.

Email from Ross Greer, one of my MSPs

I’m getting in touch as you were one of the many constituents who contacted me regarding the recent strike action taken by teachers.
As you may have heard via the media, I am exceptionally pleased to say that our latest pay offer to the teaching unions has resulted in the EIS agreeing to suspend their planned industrial action this coming week and put the offer to a ballot of their members, with a recommendation that they accept.
What we have offered is the largest increase in teacher pay for over twenty years, a 14.6% rise over twenty eight months.
The offer breaks down as follows:
•
7% increase for April 2022 - March 2023
•
5% April - December 2023
•
2% January - July 2023
This would move a teacher at the top of the main grade pay scale (those not in management positions) from a salary of £42,336 at present to £48,516 from next January.
The offer is 28 rather than 24 months to fulfil a long-held aim of teachers’ unions that their settlement date move from the start of the financial year to the start of the school year.
The EIS ballot is open until this coming Friday 10th, with the result expected to be announced later that day.
I have also been in touch with the SQA in regards to the effect of targeted strike action on senior pupils in Bearsden and Milngavie who will shortly be starting their exams. Following my request for special measures to be put in place, their Chief Executive Fiona Robertson has confirmed the following:
‘We have now written to the targeted authorities and schools to extend deadlines for the submission of coursework and the submission of estimates for those subjects where coursework takes place at a fixed point in time, with other extensions being considered on a case by case basis. We are also taking a risk-based approach to verification for internally assessed courses to significantly reduce the workload on schools.’
I hope that this will provide some relief to those who have been affected.
This dispute has been difficult and has gone on for far longer than anyone would have wanted, but the primary cause of that was out of the hands of anyone in Scotland. As I mentioned in my previous correspondence, it is reasonable for all workers to expect their pay to keep pace with inflation, but it simply isn’t possible for the Scottish Government to deliver this for all devolved public sector workers when the budget provided by Westminster does not keep up with inflation itself. In fact, for the 22-23 financial year this dispute originally covered, the UK Government cut Scotland’s budget by 5.2% before inflation began to rise. We cannot pay people more when we have less to start with.
The past financial year has been the most challenging in the Scottish Government’s history, with difficult decisions being made to ensure the books are balanced and that all public sector workers get the best possible pay increase. I can personally attest to how difficult the discussions with teaching unions have been, and I am grateful for their willingness over the past week in particular to engage in a frank and constructive dialogue about possible solutions.
Looking forward, the Scottish Government needs the normal financial levers to manage situations such as this, rather than being left at the whim of governments in London who hold the purse strings but dodge responsibility for the inevitable industrial action when Holyrood struggles to deliver on the reasonable expectations of workers.
For now though, I am sure you will be as glad as I am that the threat of further disruption to schools has been lifted. I hope that EIS members approve this historic pay offer and I certainly look forward to working with them to tackle the other issues we strongly agree on, such as reducing teacher workload and improving Additional Support for Learning services.
If you have any further questions or need any other help from me as your Green MSP, please don’t hesitate to get back in touch.

Or the Scottish Govt could invoke their tax raising powers…

Leaving the predictable ‘it wisnae me’ from the SG to one side, the main thing is that (hopefully) pupils across the country won’t have their education disrupted any longer. The SQA and teachers need to come up with a plan soon - too many aren’t ready for the forthcoming exams.

Often school don’t seem to want to recruit permanent teachers. A friend is a teacher and has a permanent 2 day a week role. She does supply two days a week at another school. On strike days they’ve just cancelled her so she doesn’t get paid / no choice / no Union payment.

I think we will see more supply teachers as it reduces employee rights.

I know this was a while ago but I'd absolutely have posted that. I'm a teacher and I (and DD) have been on the picket line every day we've been striking. It drives me mad when teachers just give themselves a wee extra day's holiday.

It's funny how it's only really teaching (and I think the NHS) whose pay rises are presented cumulatively. You never really hear of CEOs in private companies who have received a 32% pay rise (over 3 years) or MPs, who have received 30% (over 3 years). (Estimated, too busy marking higher essays to look it up).

Let's call this what it is: 7% for 2022. Which isn't a bad pay rise, granted, but isn't 14%. It wouldn't be backdated if they'd got their act together without dragging everyone through all this shite.

I'm not happy that only the targeted areas are getting sqa contingency plans. Other school kids have been affected too..

Let’s be a bit clearer about that;

Children in the constituencies of Scottish Government ministers are getting preferential treatment from the SQA

yes exactly.

Also got a reply from Katy Clark MSP (Labour)

"It is worth noting that the marking of SQA exams papers is a voluntary activity and is therefore not part of the EIS dispute with employers. However, there is no doubt that many teachers will be unwilling to sign up as SQA markers while this pay dispute is ongoing."

When will we find out for sure? Its a nightmare and very stressful for the kids.

It would’ve been so much better if this deal had been reached without strikes but the govt talked tough for ages. I’m sympathetic to the long term pay issues too, just that there’s only so much that can be done at one time.

The pupils in targeted authorities lost three additional days of preparation time for projects and coursework, so I don’t see the issue with extending the deadline for coursework for the same time. There is nothing more than that being suggested.
The pupils in targeted schools have lost an additional three days of learning time, they are still going to be sitting exams to the same timetable as everyone else. So to be honest, I don’t see much preferential about that.

Except it’s less than other public sector workers..
and some people perhaps did go in but that really then just hands power over to the government. Teaching also isn’t just “delivering lessons”..which is part of the problem in perspective here.

I also think the issue is that people are just angry at teachers and not the government.
Months went by when the govt didn’t enter discussions or do much at all to stave this off. Literacy and numeracy rates since the snp have been in are awful, teacher retention is awful, and the attitude towards teachers is awful. The disdain by the govt and now by parents does very little to help with any retention or even attitude of pupils in class (probably learning about what they’re ‘entitled’ to at home.)

It’s all quite disappointing really.

Yes, he sent this generic email out to many people. And is doing the old ‘Scottish govt have no control’. And yet two or maybe three times after John Swinney declaring there’s “no money”. Suddenly, there’s money.

They need to take some responsibility here. They knew exactly what was being asked before the fiscal year even started and avoided discussions for months.

Have you any idea what the NHS pay offer was? You might want to take a closer look esp at those on similar pay grades (which comes after going through 2 pay bands, Masters degrees, and rigorous interviews - as opposed to automatically reaching the top of your pay grade after six years post qualifying) before you claim it’s less.

Unless you’re serious about teaching being admin work in the schools then yes, yes, teaching is primarily about delivering lessons - just as nursing and other HCPs primarily focus delivering healthcare. As it should be. Next time one of your loved ones are in hospital you probably won’t find them doing admin or care plans but no actual nursing, for example.

Your disappointment is nothing in comparison to what many parents and pupils are feeling at the moment as they come up to exams, believe me.