Council reverses hours reduction
Renfrewshire Council has backed down from plans to cut two-and-a-half hours from the teaching week for all primary pupils. Hundreds of parents attended a rally last Saturday, while an EIS ballot showed 97 per cent of primary teachers opposed the proposal. EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith stressed that the council had not entirely ruled out the idea. He hoped it would be killed off by the McCormac review of teachers’ terms and conditions.
Air gun shooting at Auchinleck
Eight pupils at Auchinleck Academy in East Ayrshire suffered minor injuries after being shot by an air weapon near their school on Wednesday afternoon. No more information was available as TESS went to print. However, it is understood one pupil remained in hospital for further treatment. Police were said to be following a definite line of enquiry.
Glasgow primary pupils lose out
Pupils at two Glasgow primaries look likely to lose the right to attend one of Scotland’s highest-attaining secondaries. The acceptance of city children to St Ninian’s High in East Renfrewshire is a legacy of local government reorganisation in the 1990s. With the Giffnock school close to capacity, East Renfrewshire Council proposes that, from 2012-13, Glasgow pupils only gain access through placing requests.
Dunblane head made permanent
Interim Dunblane High headteacher Frank Lennon has been appointed on a permanent basis, after the job was advertised twice but failed to attract any suitable candidates. The former St Modan’s head first took on the role after predecessor Dorothy White stepped down for “personal reasons”. A Stirling Council spokeswoman said Mr Lennon and his staff were “transforming” the school.
Appeal failure for former EIS officer
A former EIS president has lost his latest battle with the union. Peter Quigley has been involved in various proceedings since 2007, having accused the EIS of irregularity in the way it established officials’ salaries. Last week he lost a Court of Session appeal against previous decisions by the Certification Officer. Mr Quigley said he was awaiting a written transcript. EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith said the union had acted “appropriately and in accordance with its rules”.
