THE Scottish Executive has guaranteed to underwrite 40 per cent of the costs of a one-year training contract for probationers. This leaves education authorities to find the remaining 60 per cent.
The Executive has, however, moved to reassure critics who had accused it of attempting to renege on the deal that new probationers were intended to fill additional training places and not normal teaching vaancies. It has pledged to meet full training costs where there are no vacancies.
Clarification was issued by the Executive and the authorities in a statement which appeared in advance of this week’s meeting of the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
The Executive has also announced the setting up of an “induction implementation group” to ensure the new procedures operate smoothly.
