GUIDANCE duties in secondary will fall between between class teachers and the new principal teacher post, the Education Minister told secondary heads at their annual conference in St Andrews yesterday (Thursday).
Cathy Jamieson reinforced the concept of first-line guidance by insisting that annex B of the McCrone agreement accepts that class teachers can offer advice and guidance on education issues. Her statement came as heads warned that they could lose essential pupil services when assistant principal teacher posts vanish next August.
Ms Jamieson argued that the removal of APT guidance posts should not affect the service. She also sought to separate the forthcoming national review of guidance from its delivery.
But she was warned by Ken Cunningham, president of the Headteachers’ Association of Scotland, that McCrone could not be achieved overnight and certainly not by August when the new structures for promoted posts are supposed to be in place.
“Whatever happens, pupils must not be worse off than they are now. They must have the same quality, specialist guidance or pastoral support. Their curricular and assessment needs must be fully met as at present,” Mr Cunningham, head of Hillhead High in Glasgow, said. “And the wide range of extracurricular activities must not be diminished and if anything should be enhanced.”
He appealed for assistant principal teachers of subject and guidance to be allowed to continue their work with “status and dignity”.
ScotlandPlus, pages 2-3
