Targeting
Excellence in Teaching
Teachers are at the heart
of the school. Their professionalism is the key to
improvement. Scotland has a highly qualified, all
graduate profession. Despite this, over the last decade
or so, the image of the profession has suffered and the
morale of many teachers has dipped. This issue must be
addressed and the professional expertise of our teachers
must be supported and strengthened. The Government has
taken some key steps towards enhancing the status and
effectiveness of the teaching profession. Significant
progress has been made but more needs to be done. The
Government's aim is to make progress through
consultation. Our objective is to ensure that our
teachers receive the support and recognition they require
to deliver an effective education service.
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| Action Underway |
- Improving initial
teacher education
- Developing standards
for full registration with the General Teaching
Council
- Investment of £3m
over three years for the training and development
of probationer teachers
- All teachers will
receive a performance review by June 1999
- Preparing for the
launch of the Scottish Qualification for Headship
this year
- A study of the
application of existing disciplinary procedures
for teachers
- Review of the General
Teaching Council and its functions
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| Next Steps |
- New arrangements for
a coherent induction programme for probationer
teachers
- Establishing a
framework for continuing professional development
for teachers
- Making the Scottish
Qualification for Headship mandatory for aspiring
heads
- Consulting on the
machinery for determining teachers' pay and
conditions of service
- Modernising the
Schools (Scotland) Code 1956
- Implementing
proposals to keep excellent teachers in the
classroom
- Consulting on new
arrangements for dismissal of teachers
- Giving the GTC the
power to de-register teachers who have been
dismissed by local authorities and cannot meet
professional standards
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| Targeting Excellence |
| We need to
ensure that each school takes responsibility for seeking
its own improvement, so that every school is excellent,
improving or both. Schools will only be able to achieve
excellence if they plan rigorously for improvement and if
they are properly and effectively supported. Determined
and effective action to address underperformance is also
necessary. |
| We need a
strategy for the modernisation of the framework within
which schools operate to ensure that it provides the best
possible basis for schools to take responsibility for
planning and implementing their own strategies for
improvement. This chapter reviews the important roles and
responsibilities which education authorities, HM
Inspectors and the wider community have in supporting
schools, and in challenging them to target excellence in
everything they do. The framework of statutory and other
responsibilities must embody at all levels the shared
commitment to excellence. |
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| Action Underway |
- Continuing support
for self-evaluation and planning for improvement
- Investment of £15m
to support Education Action Plans for schools
facing significant challenge in raising
performance
- Developing the Best
Value framework to apply to schools and education
authority services
- Increasing and
improving the programme of inspection by HM
Inspectors of Schools
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| Next Steps |
- Consideration of a
new statutory framework for schools to reflect
the key principles of this White Paper and
provide the following
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| For schools |
- A duty to plan for
improvement and to set targets in specified areas
- A duty to consult
parents and the School Board on its development
plan and the formulation of key policies
- A duty to report to
parents annually
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| For education authorities |
- A duty to plan for
improvement and set targets in specified areas
- A duty to monitor and
address under-performance
- A duty to establish a
transparent funding framework
- Statutory backing for
devolved school management
- A duty to report
annually on the performance of all schools
- Removal of
self-governing powers
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| For HM Inspectors |
- A statutory basis for
their inspection and evaluation of education
authorities
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| For Scottish Ministers |
- A general duty to
promote education and improvement
- Reserve powers to
intervene to address continuing under-performance
in schools.
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