Minister was sinister and threatening, says teaching union chief

THE president of Scotland’s largest teaching union has launched a scathing attack on education secretary Michael Russell, accusing him of being “sinister” and “threatening”.

• EIS president Alan Munro accused education minister of threatening behaviour over requests to delay National Qualifications

• Munro also warned of industrial action over various grievances

Making his final speech to the EIS AGM, outgoing president Alan Munro said Mr Russell had only “grudgingly” listened to the concerns of teachers over the introduction of the new National Qualifications, which many in the profession want to see delayed for a year.

And he warned of a period of “industrial strife” to come if more was not done to address teachers’ concerns over changes to their pensions and cuts being made by local councils.

Delegates have gathered in Dundee for the union’s 166th AGM, the first under new general secretary Larry Flanagan, but it was Mr Munro who got the conference under way, using his speech to criticise the minister for his intransigence.

Addressing Mr Russell’s reluctance to listen to concerns over the Nationals, he said: “We passed on the message clearly to the Curriculum for Excellence management board and the cabinet secretary, who seems to take a long time to begin to listen.

“Even when he starts to acknowledge there is an issue, he does so grudgingly and still insists on sending out the message that he thinks that it is only a small number of departments or schools who are in ‘difficulty’ and who will be requiring help.

“This help comes with a sinister, threatening tone and with the promise of ‘deep audit’.”

Referring to Mr Russell’s decision to scrap the Chartered Teacher scheme, which allowed members of the profession to earn more money by undergoing further training, he added: “I say this to Mike Russell: Obstinate refusal to listen is not good leadership.”

He went on: “We all agree that we need to attract highly qualified and motivated graduates into the profession but this has to be incentivised. You have dismayed and demoralised some of the best teachers in the system. You have treated them and the negotiating structures with disrespect. If you wish to be working with the profession and not against it, as you say you do, and if you have no intentions of imposing unwanted and unsupported changes on an unwilling profession, as you have assured me is your intent; then it is time to listen to us more readily.”

Due to be introduced in Scotland’s schools next year, the National Qualifications, which are part of Curriculum for Excellence, will replace Standard Grades and Intermediates.

East Renfrewshire Council, home to some of the country’s best-performing state schools, has already said it will delay the introduction of the new exams by a year to give teachers more time to prepare.

However, a “deep audit” carried out by Education Scotland concluded there was no need for a delay elsewhere.

A motion calling for strike action if the Scottish Government does not agree to a one-year delay of the new exams is expected to be heard today.