Decision to scrap teacher training scheme criticised as ‘short-sighted’

By CHRIS MARSHALL
Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 12:40

SCOTLAND’S largest teaching union has criticised a “short-sighted” decision to scrap a scheme which allows members of the profession to increase their pay by developing their skills.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said ending the chartered teacher scheme would act as a “disincentive” for teachers to continue to develop throughout their careers.

The decision was announced earlier today by education secretary Mike Russell as he set out his response to the McCormac review of teacher employment, which was published in September.

Mr Russell said the chartered teacher scheme would be replaced by a new masters qualification, while moves to introduce “external experts” into the classroom would be looked at by Education Scotland.

He said: “We should aspire to a vision of teaching as a masters level profession and we will do so by building on the chartered teacher scheme. I have therefore set the National Partnership Group the task of bringing forward proposals to deliver opportunities for teachers to work towards masters level qualifications. Chartered teachers and those in the process of becoming chartered teachers should be given credit for the work that they have already undertaken and will be among the first to access these opportunities for masters qualifications.”

But Ronnie Smith, the EIS’ general secretary, said: “The decision taken by the cabinet secretary to scrap Scotland’s world-leading chartered teacher scheme is incredibly short-sighted and flies in the face of attempts to enhance teacher professionalism in Scotland’s schools.

“Scotland’s chartered teacher scheme has drawn praise from around the world as an example of best practice in improving overall teaching quality, yet now it is being sacrificed in an ill-conceived, cost-driven cut.”

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Comments

There are 12 comments to this article

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12

Tintock Pete

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:10 PM

#11 jolly, So, are you in favour of all council workers being in a similar scheme or just teachers? How much would that cost and whose budget would it come out of?

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11

Jolly

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:34 AM

Tintock Pete. You clearly are talking pure Tintock, which is a minority language!

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10

No Jambos

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Good riddance to the Chartered Teacher Scheme. Some of the worst teachers in Scotland are better paid than Principal Teachers. It had nothing to do with being a good teacher.

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9

Sawney Has-Been

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 06:51 AM

So a Masters equivalent course, self-financed and leading to better skills is to be abandoned for a Masters programme with no reward? I wish they would just be honest, 'it's all about saving money' and let us get on with it.

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8

dgg

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:58 AM

I doubt any politician is in control of education. It's a juggernaut which is under the control of various quasi-authorities who are not going to wind their necks in just because Gove, Russell or anyone else says so. Russell is putting a brave face on things and Smith is ineffectual. 'World leading' scheme means we're the only people daft enough to do it this way. Sorry if that's a tad cynical.

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7

Vote 'NO'

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:15 PM

OH dear. If looks could kill. Another Russell headline, and another kick in the crown jewels from El Arrogante!!

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6

Tintock Pete

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:06 PM

#5 dgg, The headline should be "London Labour has told the EiS to criticise.......blah... blah... blah......I'm not unsympathetic, just able to think for myself and see through all this Labour directed anti SNP propaganda. London Labour doesn't care if you all lose your jobs. Scots, English cannon fodder, again.

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5

dgg

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 02:49 PM

#2 what a sympathetic person you are. And yes many teachers have gone to other jobs. Usually good ones. I'm sure all teachers will be glad to know they're appreciated.

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4

dgg

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 02:38 PM

There are plenty ways of developing skills which do not involve Colleges of Education. Both North and South of the border there is an education industry which is the dead hand on the tiller. Teachers are not treated the same as accountants and lawyers, and attempts to create a charted infrastructure are Mickey Mouse compared with the bodies in these industries. Why can't teachers progress but remain in class? Because we have a system which fails to reward leaders in the classroom: that's the root cause.

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3

Maurice the Dolphin

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 01:35 PM

Mike "teenwolf" Russell at it again.

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2

Tintock Pete

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 01:07 PM

Boo hoo. Get another job if you're not happy. Does your union not realise all this whinging is unproductive. Stop drawing attention to yourselves. You're getting no sympathy. Just the opposite.

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1

Taigh na Croiche

Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 01:05 PM

This scheme was good as it allowed teachers to progress but remain in the class. Now it means that teachers will become managers if the 'progress'. That's a different job to teaching and many managers heads and deputes have little or no knowledge of everyday classwork.

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