Posted by MilkyBarKid
Looks like the wage settlement between Cosla and the unions is going to be tight. Probably a pay freeze, though Cosla’s pushing for a cut. Would you willingly take a cut in wages - “we all need to do our bit to cut the deficit” - or would you want it linked to reduced class contact or more holidays?
Posted by CanuckGrrl
We probably won’t have a choice. The UK Government is making noises about the Canadian example of deficit-cutting in the 1990s. It amounted to a 10- year pay freeze while the cost of living spiralled.
Posted by mathsguy
“We all have to do our bit.” If there is a forced pay cut, the bit I will be doing is sticking to my 35-hour working week. They don’t get that teachers have always done their bit, with average working weeks of way over the contracted 35 hours.
Posted by bigjimmy
At our school meeting yesterday, the two unions highlighted that most teachers work over 35 hours, and more than 90 per cent were stressed. Also look out for teachers not being replaced, redundancies, vastly increased class sizes, support staff being laid off, extra-curricular activities being cancelled.
Posted by davieee
Retiring teachers will not be replaced but filled with temporary staff at the lower end of the pay scale. Increased class sizes may happen but there is a legal limit to the number of pupils that would require an act of parliament to change it. Most classrooms are not big enough. Although support staff is an obvious target, I don’t think there will be widespread compulsory redundancies because so many vacancies are being filled by temporary cover and there are legal problems in taking someone’s job and giving it to someone else.
Posted by bigjimmy
Vacancies will not be filled. The minimum requirement will be keeping all pupils in front of any teacher for the school week. Probationers will fill vacancies on a temporary basis. With falling school rolls, perhaps the “need” for as many teachers as at present will be reviewed downwards, maybe resulting in redundancies? What about permanent cover and supply staff? These people are supernumerate. Of course, teacher redundancies are a big political no-no, but that can change?
www.tes.co.ukscotland, click on Forums then Opinion.