Commenting on Supply Teacher Shortages in Dundee

The reported shortage of supply teachers in Dundee is putting additional pressure on Headteachers and their staff in our schools to cover classes when colleagues are absent.

The current supply shortage is a result of a very unfortunate combination of factors which have served both to increase the demand for 'supply teachers' and at the same time restrict the supply.

Firstly that the age profile of teacher until recently was skewed towards those approaching retirement. Their replacement with recently qualified younger staff in a profession where women are more numerous has meant that there has been a concurrent increase in the number of staff on maternity leave in any given school year. This year I understand that there are more than 45 teachers in Dundee on maternity leave, all of whom need replacement.

Secondly, there has been a rise in the number of rising five year old children in our city entering Primary School each year; about 300 extra children per year equating to 18 additional classes alll needing a teacher.

Thirdly, one of the SNP's most damaging cuts in education was to reduce the national rate of pay for short term supply teaching. This initially restricted the daily rate of pay for up to five days supply teaching to the lowest rung of the salary scale. For experienced supply teachers, this made short term supply work much less attractive so understandably some supply teachers withdrew from the supply list or became selective; avoiding taking short term supply work at the lower rate of pay.

This has put a strain on teachers and management teams in schools as they cover classes. When this repeatedly happens this takes them away from other roles and tasks that they would be otherwise undertaking. In secondary schools the internal 'please take' cover may be by a teacher who is not qualified in the subject taught. While this cover is satisfactory, if not ideal, for an occasional lesson, this it is not a satisfactory longer term solution for pupils in a class preparing for SQA examinations.

After several years of difficulties securing supply teachers throughout Scotland, the Scottish Government has finally agreed to establish a national task force to look into and come up with some solutions that increase the pool of supply teachers. The sooner this group report, the better.

In the meanwhile, we are exploiting the goodwill of our school teachers and understandably this is wearing thin. Parents I am sure will be anxious that the education of their child does not suffer as a result of these shortages.

Proposed Change to Pay of Short Term Supply Teachers is Not Comprehensive Enough

In a bid to head off further shortages of supply teachers, the Scottish Government and local council body, CoSLA have offered a 'pay rise' to supply teachers as part of a pay package which will be offered to teachers. Yesterday, Scotland's largest teachers' union, the EIS confirmed that it would ballot all its members on the pay package.

Under a deal imposed in 2011 by the Scottish Government, the daily rate paid to supply teachers for five or fewer days was halved, leaving many schools unable to find supply to cover absences. Teachers' Unions report that one in three councils is still struggling. In Dundee during periods of seasonal illness, many Head Teachers found that there were very few teachers to call on from the supply list. As a result they were pulled away from their management roles to take classes.


The new agreement will see “short-term supply” redefined, meaning teachers will be paid the full rate after three days, rather than the previous five. It is also proposed that teachers receiving the lower rate will also be paid ten per cent extra for preparation and correction.

Of course this may just shift the problem with supply teachers avoiding covering teacher absences not likely to be sustained beyond two or three days.

This mess was one of the SNP government's own making. I warned then that this would lead to difficulties in recruiting short term supply teachers and that it would be the children who suffer as their teachers are run ragged covering for absent teachers. Unfortunately, I think the SNP led Scottish Government are not making a good job of responding to the rising tide of criticism about the shortage of supply teachers, especially for short term cover. This proposed change may be an improvement but it does not remove the disincentive for supply teachers to turn down demands for short term supply teaching. Who would want to work for half pay for up to three days, when there are better offers available for four or more days work?

This is another example of short term cuts and long term damage.

'Crisis' Looms as Staffing Levels at City Schools near 'Breaking Point'

This post reproduces a substantial part of an article which was published in the Evening Telegraph on Tuesday 25 September 2012 written by Reporter Philip Sim.

Teachers in Dundee have warned of an impending "crisis" in staffing levels at city schools.

The number of teachers available to cover classes has been badly hit by staff taking maternity leave, among other factors, and a local union representative warned that the system is nearing breaking point.

At a meeting of the education committee (held on Monday 24 September 2012) discussing the department's new service plan for city schools, Arthur Forrest of the EIS teaching union told Councillors that there were serious issues with the number of available teachers.

"We have extreme problems in schools trying to get supply, and it's moving towards crisis," he said.

"We're unable to find teachers to take classes - we have support for learning
teachers being taken from young people to cover classes."

"The motto is 'get it right for every child', but how can we when the (support for learning) teachers identified to work with the children are taken away to teach classes?"

"Often teachers speak to me and say they're spending too much time fire-fighting, covering classes." Mr Forrest added that "head teachers and senior management teams often didn't have time to work on implementing the "ambitious" changes outlined in the service plan because they had to cover classes."

"Senior management, who should be leading the changes, are unable to do so
because they are fire-fighting," he said.

"It says in the report that this will be delivered by a lead officer, but everyone knows that the changes take place in the schools and it's the head teachers and their teams who lead it."

"It's vital we're aware of the pressure on schools."

"I'd like an assurance from the Director that the people who are put in to lead speak to the real leaders to take account of reality."

Education Director Michael Wood admitted there were currently 56 teachers on
maternity leave from the city's schools, but said the authority was striving to bring in more support. "We were interviewing over the course of last week and we're interviewing this week for 20 more primary teachers," he said.

"Before the holidays we will have an open advert for staff."

"In all of our schools we're making sure we prioritise so we don't have a situation where children are disadvantaged due to a teaching issue."

"In terms of our head teachers, their voice is crucial. Our head teachers are the key drivers for improvements within our schools."

"The plan is a five-year plan, it allows us time to adapt and regroup in the light of experience."

"I'm out in schools on occasion doing supply work, as I want to see the schools and how the work is done.

"The reality is we don't know what's happening out in the field unless we get out there - we have people at the pumps."

When asked if he was happy with the director's response, Mr Forrest said: "I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm happy, but I heard him."

Shocking Supply Teacher Gaps in Dundee Secondary Schools - Nearly 1 in 4 requests for supply cover cannot be met

Based on figures supplied by the City Council Education Department:

There were 157 requests to the Council for supply cover from Dundee secondary schools since the school year began in August 2011.
 I am very disappointed to learn that just under one in four of these requests were not filled (43 out of 157).

Is this the unfortunate result of a money saving ploy, to reduce the wages of short term supply teachers, which has now backfired? 
 
The requests for a supply teacher are made when a teacher is unavailable chiefly because of illness, and for other reasons such as bereavement, professional appointments , maternity leave and attending staff development sessions.

From August 2011, short-term supply teachers have been paid at £70 per day for the first five days of any deployment, and for a maximum of 25 hours (comprising 22.5 hours’ class-contact and 2.5 hours set aside for preparation and correction, pro-rata for those who work less than a full week). In the past, supply teachers were treated on a par with permanent teachers, and paid according to their length of service.

With the approach of important national exams, it is crucial that pupils are taught by the appropriate specialist subject teachers at all times. I would like to know if this is indeed the case when supply cover has been 'successfully' requested.

Parents and carers will be concerned that their children’s education will be suffering, especially if examination classes are affected running up to the SQA examinations in May.

I am calling on the Education Convener to let parents and carers know whether she will:

• prioritise reducing the number of unfilled gaps in supply cover to an absolute minimum;
• urgently explore alternative and more effective ways of providing supply cover in our schools and
• avoid using the non filling of requests for supply as a way of making more savings. 

Supply teachers provide a very valuable and important service to schools. It is clear that supply teachers need to be properly treated if we are to attract enough qualified teachers to cover for absent members of the permanent teaching staff in our schools.

Click on this link to read more about the experience of supply teachers and their recent demands for fairer treatment.

Commenting on the Next Round of Education Cuts in Dundee

The announcement on Thursday 12 January of the Council's planned cuts of £0.7 million in Education in 2012/13 is to be regretted. This needs to be seen against the backdrop of 99 fewer teachers in our schools as a result of the £4.7 million cut to the budget in the 2011/12 financial year. To add to the woes of our schools, most of next year's cuts will also fall directly on our schools.

The removal of visiting Music and PE teachers from our primary schools will effectively narrow the curriculum for many children. Expecting every primary class teacher to take their own class for PE is a backward step. At a time when we are conscious of trying to encourage all young people to adopt a more physically active lifestyle, I have serious doubts as to whether our primary schools will be able to fulfil the government's standard of two hours of quality PE for each child each week.

The reduction in the number if visiting instrumental teachers will further cheese pare at our once outstanding schools' music service in our city. Starting music tuition a year later is a backward step because music makers need to start young. Reducing the instrumental tuition by a year risks lowering the number of our young people who may engage in the Dundee Schools' orchestras and bands and reduce those that might enter for SQA examinations in music. 

At the Policy and Resources Committee on Monday 9 January, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Ken Guild, informed us that he had written to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, John Swinney MSP, to let his know that he had accepted the financial deal on offer from the government. Part of that deal includes a commitment by the Council to maintain teacher number in Dundee. When our SNP led Council cuts Music and PE teachers, there is a risk that the council will incur a financial penalty which will lead to even more cuts in our schools

On top of these additional cuts, the effect of reducing the pay of short term supply teachers is making it difficult to recruit them.  Between August 2011 and January 2012 nearly a quarter of the requests for supply cover from our Secondary Schools were unable to be met. This represents another stealth cut that will affect the quality of teaching and learning in our schools. 


Dundee children and young people deserve better!