Referendum Groups Answer Pp7-9 ANNUAL FAMILY COVER ANNUAL FAMILY WORLDWIDE for JUST £94* TRAVEL INSURANCE for JUST £94*
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The Scottish Educational Journal May 2014 Vol. 98 www.eis.org.uk Issue no. 03 EIS raises education Road to questions - the campaign Referendum groups answer pp7-9 ANNUAL FAMILY COVER ANNUAL FAMILY WORLDWIDE FOR JUST £94* TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR JUST £94* l Comprehensive Worldwide Annual family policy l Natural disasters e.g. volcanic eruption, tsunami, hurricane, fire, flood, earthquake etc l full Winter sports Cover l increased protection when booking not made through a travel agent l Enhanced delay benefit l Enhanced missed departure cover * For members aged under 65. Premiums for members aged 65 to 69 years is £164 per year. ADD BOTH THEsE EssENTiAl COVERs fOR jusT £36 HOME EMERGENCY COVER MOTOR BREAKDOWN COVER fOR YOu & YOuR pARTNER l Main Heating system l plumbing & Drainage l Roadside Assistance and Recovery l Home security l Home Assist Download l Alternative Travel l Toilet unit application l Domestic power supply l Emergency Overnight Accommodation form here l lost Keys l lost Keys l Vermin infestation l Message service * Home Emergency and Motor Breakdown Cover are also available to existing EIS Travel Insurance customers. For an application or immediate cover call: 0845 230 1653 or visit www.philipwilliams.co.uk/eistravel Big Choices Ahead for Scotland In this edition of the SEJ, conditions of teachers, future pension arrangements, and how best to deliver Contents we look ahead to two an education system that meets the significant events that will needs of all learners across Scotland. 4. News have major implications The EIS Manifesto is being sent to all 6. Council News for Scottish education. Scottish MPs and MSPs, to Scottish 7. EIS Referendum Manifesto political parties, to both sides of the The first of these, chronologically, is the Referendum Campaign, and to local 8. Manifesto - Campaign Responses EIS Annual General Meeting which will be authorities and their representatives. held in June at Perth Concert Hall. The We are urging everyone involved in 10. Guide to EIS AGM EIS AGM is one of the most significant the debate to consider the questions events on the Scottish education 11. Well-Being Survey raised in the EIS Manifesto and to make calendar, and brings together teachers, clear their views on how education 12. What Time for Teaching? lecturers and associated professionals will flourish, post Referendum. from across the country to debate the key 14. A year with the President issues facing education and to help shape You can read more about the launch of 16. Book Festival EIS policy priorities for the year ahead. the EIS Manifesto on p7 of this SEJ and, This year, AGM debates will include issues on pp8-9, you can also hear from both 18. CPD Focus such as CfE, the new qualifications, sides of the Referendum Campaign – 19. Health and Safety workload, pay and conditions and Better Together and Yes Scotland – who pensions. You can find more information outline their initial responses to the 20. Scottish Learning Festival on this year’s AGM on p10 of this SEJ and issues raised in the Manifesto. If you on the EIS website – www.eis.org.uk would like to read the EIS Manifesto, 21. Countdown to Savings copies have been sent to EIS Reps in Unusually, this year, an even more 22. Education Summit all establishments and it can also be significant event for Scottish education viewed online at www.eis.org.uk 23. Rape Crisis Scotland is also on the horizon. On the 18th of September, EIS members and voters This is a huge year, not just for Scottish 24. EIS Contacts across the country will have their say education but for Scotland itself. The 25. Classifieds in the independence Referendum – a EIS is determined that education will vote that will determine not just the be a key issue for all during the run up 26. FELA Conference future path of Scotland’s education to the Referendum. While it is for each system, but also the future of both individual member to make up their 27. STUC Congress Scotland and the United Kingdom. own mind whether to vote Yes or No to 28. SEJ Forum / Sudoku independence, the EIS will continue to In last month’s SEJ, we highlighted that push for a better future for education, 31. Crossword the EIS was developing its own Education for pupils and students, teachers and Manifesto for the Referendum. This has lecturers in post Referendum Scotland. now been finalised and was launched in early May. The EIS Manifesto sets out our priorities for Scottish education in the future, no matter what the result of September’s Referendum. As a politically neutral organisation, with no affiliation to any political party, the EIS has adopted neither a Yes nor a No position in the main Referendum debate. However, we are raising key questions about the future of Scottish education, including Cover the funding of education, the pay and Feature Page 8 All articles and letters in the SEJ represent the views THE EDITOR: of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the EIS view or EIS policy. To be considered The SEJ Editor, 46 Moray Place, for publication, all letters and unsolicited articles Edinburgh, EH3 6BH must be accompanied by a full name and address. t: 0131 225 6244 The Editor’s decision on publication is final, and the Editor reserves the right to edit all submissions. E: [email protected] Cover image: www.mkjphotography.co.uk www.eis.org.uk 3 News... Court Reform Proposals value of cases to be raised in the Court of Session from £5,000 to £150,000. Where 2013/14 Pay Award The Court Reform (Scotland) Bill 2014 is claims are to be pursued in the specialist Have you retired or moved currently at Stage 1 of procedures, and Sheriff Court there will be no automatic includes proposals to restructure the way right to instruct Counsel. local authority since civil and summary criminal cases are Mr Flanagan said, “It is hard to see 1 April 2013? dealt with in Scotland. The EIS is eager to how the specialist Sheriffs will be able to see key amendments made to the draft deal with the volume of cases which will To ensure you receive any arrears of legislation before proceeding. be raised in the Sheriff Court if the level of pay you are advised to contact your ex- Unless the Scottish Government £150,000 is maintained. employer directly in writing. If you are agrees to amendments to the Bill in due “There is serious concern that in touch with any ex-colleagues please course, access to justice in Scotland will members’ claims will be significantly advise them of this. be severely limited with many delays prejudiced by delay and that expenses will and blockages in the proposed system increase if Proofs require to be discharged anticipated. due to the unavailability of one of the Funding Secured For Commenting, EIS General Secretary Sheriffs. New Masters Level Larry Flanagan said, “This Bill, when “The litigation process which is already taken in conjunction with Section 69 of lengthy will become an even longer, more Programme the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform convoluted process given the real prospect Act 2013, will reduce access to justice The EIS, in partnership with City & Guilds, of the Sheriff Court being unable to cope and could have a negative impact on the have successfully secured funding from with the volume of business, thus causing safety of our members.” the Scottish Government for the Masters more upset to members.” The Bill proposes to increase the in Education Programme. Later this year, up to 200 teachers will be able to take the online Masters Level Learning Programme Unit 1 (SCQF Level 11), fully funded, and City & Guilds is Low Teacher EIS-ULA Members vote to now inviting applications from qualified Scottish Teachers to register their interest. Unemployment Figures accept new pay offer This programme offers high quality The EIS welcomed figures from the professional learning opportunities to Scottish Government that indicate Scottish teachers enabling them to a declining number of unemployed develop their expertise, experience, teachers across Scotland. According to and therefore improve their classroom labour market statistics from the Office performance. for National Statistics (ONS), only 90 It is delivered via Learning Assistant qualified teachers in Scotland were and is available to teachers Scotland- looking for work in February 2014. wide. Each candidate will be allocated Members of the EIS-University Lecturers This represents the lowest number their own tutor who will offer support, Association (EIS-ULA) have overwhelmingly since the first collection of these figures advice and guidance throughout the backed a new pay offer from employers in in 2005. However, levels of teacher programme. their recent ballot. employment are still variable across 79% of those voting opted to back the the country, and the EIS continues For details on registration and criteria new 2% pay offer which comes after a joint to highlight the need for a minimum please email: trade-union industrial action campaign in staffing standard to ensure equity of the HE sector following years of real-terms [email protected] provision across the country. salary decline. Acceptance of the offer resolves the current dispute, and all planned industrial NUT Conference action (including industrial action short of strike action) has now been cancelled. General Secretary Larry Flanagan addressed The EIS-ULA Executive is clear that over 1200 delegates at this year’s National the programme of industrial action over Union of Teachers (NUT) conference. Larry the past year, together with the threat of highlighted the contrasting circumstances of further industrial action, led to a greater Scotland’s comprehensive education system pay offer than would otherwise have been founded on the employment of GTCS registered achieved.