If the new proposals are accepted young teachers may feel uncertain about how best to work towards headships. There have till now been many strong subject teachers who have nevertheless contributed well to what could be called both leisure and guidance activities. Will they as subject teachers be less inclined to do this when others are being paid for leisure and guidance work?
(Editorial on a new promotion structure for secondaries that included guidance posts.) * Councillor E.T.F. Spence, chairman of Argyll education committee, said nobody who knew the complexities of educational administration today would appoint a headmaster to be director of education. Heads, he said, did not have the right kind of administrative experience. A young man who qualified with a good degree had to make up his mind fairly early whether he was going to aim for promotion in teaching or on the administrative side.
* Headmasters have been asked to keep watch on a new drugs threat after the case of a 16-year-old schoolboy who died as a result of sniffing glue. The jury at Perth Sheriff Court found that Alan Robb of Blairgowrie had died from inhaling polystyrene solvents.
* Meetings are going on in Perthshire between the police, teachers, the medical profession and social workers about how to tackle the whole new drugs problem which to them is fairly new. “There is no evidence that there is a major problem,” said Dr A.S. Caldwell, the county medical officer.
* Edinburgh College of Commerce is setting up a new two-year course in music. This will be the first of its kind in a Scottish further education college.
* R.F. Mackenzie has been isolated rather than allowed to be an influence: from the way many teachers speak of him, they fear him more than they fear their worst delinquents.
