Summary

  • The Education Committee takes evidence from teachers and teacher trainees on the recruitments and retention of staff in schools

  • Health and sport minister take this week's portfolio questions

  • Scottish Labour will then lead a debate on health calling for the 'NHS pay cap' to be scrapped

  • SNP MSP Emma Harper will lead this afternoon's member's debate by celebrating International Nurses Day

  1. Minister details £2m funding for additional training general practice nursespublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Shona Robison

    Health Secretary Shona Robison says general practice nurses are essential to the future of general practice.

    Ms Robison says £2m is being invested into additional training to ensure they can contribute even more than they do already.

  2. Question on nursing roles in general practicepublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    SNP MSP Linda Fabiani asks what importance the government gives to nursing roles in general practice.  

  3. Portfolio questions beginspublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    DoctorImage source, Thinkstock

    Health and sport ministers will now take the hot seats for portfolio questions.

  4. Coming up in the chamber this afternoon....published at 12:38 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    NursesImage source, Thinkstock

    First up in the chamber this afternoon, health and sport ministers will take the hot seats for portfolio questions. 

    Labour will then lead a debate on health. 

    This evening's member's debate is led by SNP MSP Emma Harper who calls on parliament to celebrate International Nurses Day. 

  5. That ends this evidence sessionpublished at 12:37 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Committee convener James Dornan ends this evidence session.

  6. Local authorities listening but do not have enough resources to deal with problems says Ms Newtonpublished at 12:36 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    SNP MSP Clare Haughey asks if there is a way for teachers or headteachers to feed up the management chain.

    Headteacher Isabel Marshall says that there are various meetings but it has been difficult to find solutions. 

    Ms Haughey says she is not getting a sense that the problems are being listened to. 

    Teacher Emma Newton

    Ms Marshall says that they are being listened to but there may not be solutions available. 

    Labour MSP Daniel Johnson asks if the witnesses think that local authorities have enough funding for solutions.

    Ms Marshall says "no" there needs to be more funding and resources. 

    Ms Haughey says that the local authority has a duty of care to teachers and asks if they are fulfilling that.

    Teacher Emma Newton says that the local authorities are listening to teachers but they do not have enough funding to address it.

  7. What support is available?published at 12:30 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    SNP MSP Clare HaugheyImage source, bbc
    Image caption,

    SNP MSP Clare Haughey

    SNP MSP Clare Haughey says all the witnesses have raised issues around stress and work load and she asks what support there is from local authorities.

    Karen Vaughan: "We have a helpline that you can ring that will offer you six counselling sessions."

    Headteacher Isabel Marshall says teachers are recommended to use the hotline.

    Dr Shaun Harley says the first port of call should be the headteacher. 

    Ms Marshall agrees that the first port of call should be colleagues and then the headteacher, but that's where there is squeeze in the system and "you are the jam in the sandwich".

  8. Supply teachers often not brought in until the teacher has been off for three weekspublished at 12:27 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Teacher Karen Vaughan says there have been a number of times she has been desperate for supply work but not phoned. 

    Ms Vaughan says that there seems to be a rule that cover will not be brought in until a teacher has been off for three weeks.

    Teacher Karen Vaughan

    Committee convener James Dornan asks who makes the decision on that and if it is local authority or government.

    Ms Vaughan says that is very unclear but it appears to be a local government decision. 

    She says supply teachers are often seen as the "lowest of the low" but that they are the ones coming in to get the school through the teaching day.

  9. Schools just can't get the cover says teacherpublished at 12:23 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    CommitteeImage source, bbc

    Dr Shaun Harley says his school just can't get the cover.

    He says it is not that the school is not trying desperately, they just can't get the cover. 

  10. Lack of supply teachers leads to staff working unwellpublished at 12:20 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Judith Williams says there is a lack of supply teachers and staff are coming to work unwell and getting more unwell.

    They do this because they don't want to leave the school short of a teacher, says Ms Williams.

  11. 'There are not enough pupil support workers'published at 12:18 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Labour MSP Johaan Lamont says the pressures on teachers are more massive now then when she taught.

    Ms Lamont says there are fewer classroom assistants and support now.

    Emma Newton says if she has to do her admin, whereas pupil support workers used to do this.

    Ms Newton says: "There are not enough pupil support workers."

  12. 'How can it be done if the funding is not there'published at 12:15 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Teacher Emma Newton

    SNP MSP Gillian Martin raises early years education and asks the panel for thoughts on this. 

    Teacher Emma Newton says a lot could happen before school and at nursery but at the moment the focus is about taking teachers out of nurseries.

    "How can it be done if the funding is not there," she says. 

    Ms Newton says teachers could be working in nursery settings but in her council nursery there are not enough teachers.  

  13. Changes to National 4/5 should make it possible to teach within a yearpublished at 12:12 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Teacher Linda Robertson

    Mr Johnson asks if National 4 or 5 can be taught within a year.

    Teacher Linda Robertson says the changes were made because there was too much to teach within a year.

    Ms Robertson says the changes are good but teachers have only been given three weeks to implement them. 

  14. Is there a case for non-political control of the CfE?published at 12:11 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Teacher Linda Robertson says she does not think she could have coped with the Curriculum for Excellence at 22 years old and she copes due to her time in industry.

    Labour MSP Daniel Johnson who is in charge of the CfE.

    That's like asking who is in charge of the internet says Dr Shaun Harley.

    Judith WilliamsImage source, bbc
    Image caption,

    Judith Williams

    Judith Williams says she wonders if there is a case for non-political control of the CfE.

    Ms Williams says politicians change things but asks if the change is for the benefit of the people. 

  15. 'If you ask 100 different teachers what Curriculum for Excellence is you would get 100 different answers'published at 12:07 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Teacher Dr Shaun Harley

    Labour MSP Daniel Johnson says Curriculum for Excellence is ambitious and asks if teachers are properly trained for it. 

    Teacher Dr Shaun Harley says "if you ask 100 different teachers what Curriculum for Excellence is you would get 100 different answers."

  16. 'Recruiting people with skills from outside school is very important'published at 12:05 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Tory MSP Liz Smith says there are concerns that some teachers from other jurisdictions struggle to come and teach in Scotland.

    Headteacher Isabel Marshall says she has had postive experiences with conversion and returning courses.

    Ms Marshall says: "Recruiting people with skills from outside school is very important."

  17. Perception is that teaching is rewarding but difficult says Ms Marshallpublished at 12:04 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Headteacher Isabel Marshall

    Tory MSP Liz Smith asks why there are issues in teacher recruitment. 

    Headteacher Isabel Marshall says there is perception that it is rewarding but also that it is difficult.

    Ms Marshall says the media portray the extreme of children being very difficult so the PR should be better.

    She also says the salary could be better. 

    Ms Marshall says it is difficult to persuade people to come into teaching if they have had bad experiences at school themselves. 

  18. Postpublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

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  19. Money needs to put in to support children with additional support needspublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Angela KellyImage source, bbc
    Image caption,

    Angela Kelly

    Green MSP Ross Greer says the last evidence session highlighted the "wildly inconsistent knowledge on additional support needs" in newly trained teachers.

    Headteacher Isabel Marshall says over a four years there is more opportunity to address this than in the one year entry scheme.

    Angela Kelly says money needs to put in to support children with additional support needs.

  20. Teachers struggling with volume of children with different needs in classroomspublished at 11:59 British Summer Time 10 May 2017

    Teacher Karen Vaughan

    Teacher Angela Kelly says ASN must be taught more concisely in universities. 

    Teacher Karen Vaughan says practically every teacher in the classroom nowadays is an ASN teacher because there are a number of pupils with needs.

    Ms Vaughan says every teacher should be a promoted ASN post. 

    She says a lot of people are struggling with the volume of children in their class with additional needs and how to support them.