Created on: 12 Mar 2012 | Last modified: 03 Sep 2015
The EIS and the May 2012 elections
We seek to persuade all candidates and all political parties that Scottish education must be defended against the serious impact of budget cuts. Local authorities run our schools and play a key role in implementing national priorities for education. It is vital that all council candidates are fully aware of their responsibilities with regard to education and are committed to delivering a positive future for learners of all ages.
Much to be proud of:
We have a great deal to be proud of in our education system in Scotland
• The comprehensive system in Scotland has proved its worth and is continuing to do much to reduce the effects of inequality in Scottish society.
• The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) examination results show the stability of the Scottish education system, in particular, through Standard Grade and Higher results.
• More young children than ever before have access to pre-5 education. This includes the overwhelming majority of 4 year olds and a growing number of 3 year olds.
• More and more Scottish young people secure qualifications which allow them to access Higher Education. The current proportion moving onto Higher Education in college or university - nearly half of our young people - is the highest ever in Scotland.
• The Curriculum for Excellence for all pupils aged 3 to 18, which is supported in principle by the EIS, is internationally admired and subject to scrutiny well beyond Scotland and the UK.
• New arrangements for assessment, no longer based on tests leading to league tables, provide quality information to pupils, teachers and parents as pupils move on to the next stage of their education.
• All teachers working in schools are fully qualified and must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the regulator of professional standards in our schools and colleges.
• A one year induction scheme for Probationer teachers working towards the Standard for Full Registration has proved a major success and is admired world-wide.
• The Teaching Profession for the 21st Century Agreement of 2001 has meant the recruitment and retention within the profession of high quality teachers with levels of salary agreed through a national negotiating structure, the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).
• The Chartered Teacher programme agreed as part of the Teaching Profession for the 21st Century Agreement led to significant professional opportunities for thousands of teachers who wished to enhance their professional skills while remaining in the classroom.
