Supply demands

If THE purpose of the latest offer on pay for Scottish supply teachers is to entice more of them back into the classroom, then disappointment may lie ahead.

Full pay will be awarded after two days of work in any one school or class instead of the existing term of three or five days, which was part of a deal rejected in the last Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) ballot. I am on the supply lists for both primary and secondary with a number of local authorities, and have found that much of the work on offer involves only one or two days.

There is no logic or fairness in being paid less at the beginning of an assignment and more later on.

Along with many other supply teachers, I am experienced and well qualified.

We have not taken kindly to a cut in daily pay based on an annual salary of at least £34,200 down to one based on a salary of £17,100, if the additional cut in hours paid per day from seven to five is taken into account.

Supply teachers are expected to be on call and receive no sick pay or travel expenses. And for those paying in to the teachers’ final salary pension scheme, further disadvantage is suffered as a lower salary rate is taken into account in pension calculations.

Kay Smith

Bryson Road

Edinburgh