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Keynote: New year, new challenges
By Anthony Finn, Chief Executive, GTC Scotland
Every year brings challenges and opportunities, but 2011 already seems likely to pose some significant challenges for the education community in Scotland.
Challenges can, of course, also offer opportunities. For example, some managers believe that the need to prioritise more carefully will lead to better decisions; and that more careful thought about priorities will lead to better planning of the resources required. However, there are also those who argue that we should aim to achieve 'more with less'. I have heard this mantra frequently in recent months but I am not convinced. Yes, we should aim to achieve as much as we can, aiming to spend limited resources as effectively as possible; but we also need to recognise that budget reductions will inevitably mean that some current expectations may no longer be practicable.
Of course, most of the difficult budget decisions taken by Councils and schools over the next few months lie outwith our organisational remit. But the implications for teacher professionalism of some of the options currently under discussion are certainly of interest to GTC Scotland, a body which promotes the professionalism of teachers.
For example, recent reports of reductions in CPD allocations could, if accurate, have worrying effects on the development of the skills needed by teachers for the future. While it is anticipated that authorities will, as part of their agreement with Scottish Government on budget priorities, confirm their support for the Curriculum for Excellence programme, it will be interesting to see what this means in practice.
The same agreement also suggests that the teaching time of probationers teachers should be increased to 0.9FTE (from the current 0.7) and that there should be a freeze on entry to the Chartered Teacher Scheme. Inevitably, GTC Scotland would have major concerns if either of these proposals were to be implemented.
Scotland has worked hard to attain standards of teacher education which have been described as world class by the OECD and which are much admired by other countries. The Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS), in particular, has attracted very significant interest worldwide. Before TIS was introduced, Scottish teachers required to spend two years preparing to reach the probation standard. The TIS made time available for wider, supported reflection and mentoring within a structured programme and this allowed new teachers to complete their probation within one year. If the proposals now under discussion are finally agreed, GTC Scotland may require to be convinced that they will allow probationers sufficient time to attain the Standard for Full Registration.
Similarly, recent research has pointed to the advantage of having teachers gain higher order classroom skills. Accomplished teachers, or Chartered Teachers in our model, can have a lot to contribute to schools, especially in these difficult times. Indeed, the 2009 SNCT agreement indicated ways in which we might use Chartered Teachers better to fulfil this purpose. We would like to see this considered further.
This month we'll hear the results of the Review of Teacher Education which is being conducted by Graham Donaldson. His earlier progress report highlighted a number of strengths in the current system and indicated that he wished to build on these strengths. We look forward to working with him to take forward his recommendations for improvement. It is interesting to note that he has already indicated that "in a challenging economic context, teacher quality matters more than ever". Let's hope that his advice is listened to and that difficult budget pressures do not result in decisions which could lead to a dilution in the high standards of teacher education, with concomitant risks to the quality of the learning experience of our young people.
The GTC Scotland is committed to continuing to work with our partners to build as strong and talented a teaching profession as possible. Nothing less will do if we are to give our young people the opportunity and skills to grow a strong economic future for Scotland.
Finally, I'd like to thank you all for your support in 2010 and wish you a happy, healthy and successful 2011.