This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New powers to tackle poor teaching
19/11/2002
New disciplinary procedures to deal with teacher
misconduct and incompetence in Scottish schools were agreed
today.
These include new powers of dismissal for directors of
education. Previously, a teacher could only be dismissed
once this had been agreed by a local authority's education
committee.
The new framework was agreed today by the Scottish
Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), which is made up
of the Scottish Executive, COSLA and the main teaching
unions. Competence issues will be subject to a General
Teaching Council for Scotland code of conduct to ensure
consistency of standards across Scotland.
Welcoming the agreement, Education Minister Cathy
Jamieson said:
"The vast majority of teachers deliver education to
children in the way it should be - competently and
effectively. Those teachers will never encounter these new
disciplinary procedures during their careers.
"As with all walks of life there will be some teachers
who do not meet the necessary standards. Most of them
simply need additional training or management support.
However, where teachers are unable to make the necessary
improvements it is vital that we have effective mechanisms
in place for dealing with them."
Deputy Education Minister Nicol Stephen added:
"An overhaul of the disciplinary system for teachers was
long overdue. It is in the interests of everyone in the
teaching profession that teachers have clear professional
standards to follow backed up by fair and effective
disciplinary procedures.
"These new measures - agreed by the teaching unions,
local authorities and the Scottish Executive - are a major
step forward."
NOTES FOR NEWS EDITORS
There is a long standing commitment from the Scottish
Executive to introduce revised disciplinary procedures for
teachers which include giving directors of education the
power of dismissal. Currently teachers can only be
dismissed by a resolution of a local authority's education
committee.
The SNCT established a Working Group to consider revised
disciplinary and grievance procedures. The disciplinary
framework for teachers was agreed by the full SNCT today.
The Working Group will now turn its attention to grievance
procedures.
The new framework will be introduced in each area by
local authorities in conjunction with their local
negotiating committees.
Giving directors of education the power of dismissal
brings teachers into line with other local authority
employees.
The framework is backed by a new code of conduct issued
by the General Teaching Council for Scotland that local
authorities will be required to follow when a teacher is
under-performing. The framework also provides for a
separate investigative stage and time limits to ensure
disciplinary procedures are both fair and effective.