Teachers demand details of school test funding

Published on Friday 12 June 2009 22:13

TEACHERS yesterday demanded to know how new school qualifications will be funded.

New National 4 and 5 qualfications have been announced by Fiona Hyslop, the education secretary, which will replace Standard and Intermediate grades from the academic year 2013-14.

Literacy and numeracy certificates will be introduced at the same time for all school-leavers.

However, unions have said the introduction of the new qualifications will cost time and money and warned that they could make teachers' workload impossible.

Critics also called for more details, saying the announcement on Thursday was too vague

The EIS warned the new arrangements will fail without proper resourcing and if workload burdens on pupils and teachers increase.

Ronnie Smith, EIS general secretary, said: "It will be essential for the Scottish Government to provide the funding so teachers and lecturers can access the professional development required to implement the new arrangements successfully.

"This is a key concern in the face of current pressures on education budgets across the country, which threaten staffing levels and resources for schools."

Jane Peckham, Scotland organiser for the NASUWT teaching union, supported the call for more information and financial backing. She said: "Introducing such widespread change to the qualifications structure will incur considerable costs and the union will be seeking assurances that it will not be teachers who end up footing the bill."

Ken Macintosh, Labour's schools spokesman said:

"This announcement has provoked more questions than it has answered".