Teaching Workload to Be Reduced in Scotland
The Scottish Government has unveiled new plans to introduce a nationwide reform of teachers’ working conditions. Speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS) in Glasgow, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth announced that a series of measures will be implemented to fulfil the government’s 2021 pledge to reduce teachers’ weekly classroom teaching time by 90 minutes.
The proposals include a gradual reduction in weekly teaching hours, the introduction of pilot schemes, and a flexible four-day school week that would allow teachers to dedicate one day a week to professional development activities. In addition, by setting a national minimum learning time for pupils, the government believes it may become possible to introduce later school start times, longer break periods and a restructured school day.
David Barnett, General Secretary of School Leaders Scotland, said that while certain aspects of the proposals could make the profession more attractive, the details would be crucial and negotiations were likely to be lengthy. Meanwhile, Seamus Searson, General Secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, criticised the lack of detail in the proposals and questioned why the government had not brought them to the SNCT negotiating table at an earlier stage.