The following motions were passed at the Association's Annual Congress on 15&16th May 2003 at the Hilton Coylumbridge, Aviemore

"This Association calls on the Scottish Executive and CoSLA to clarify the job description, role, and management of auxiliaries and classroom assistants in our schools."

"This Association firmly believes in the concept of a Chartered Teacher but totally rejects the principle that individual teachers should pay for each module in the Chartered Teacher Programme"

"This Association believes that all courses associated with Continuing Professional Development to be undertaken as part of the additional contractual 35 hours should be accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland."

"This Association congratulates those local authorities committed to continuing specialist guidance provision in schools for young people, and reiterates its policy statement on Guidance provision in secondary schools. The Association deplores the move away from specialist Guidance provision in certain local authorities."

"This Association believes that, as part of the Social Inclusion process, all school students deserve equal access to every part of the curriculum and calls upon the Scottish Executive and Scottish local authorities to reduce the costs of music tuition with a view to phasing out charges altogether in order to ensure equality of opportunity for all."

"That this Association draw up a Code of Practice outlining the standards expected of visitors to schools in their dealings with staff, this code to have specific reference to deal with visits by HMI and Examination Moderators."

"This Association continues to believe that indiscipline in secondary schools is a major factor in reducing pupil attainment and increasing stress and ill health amongst Scottish secondary teachers. Congress welcomes the lobbying of Scottish parliamentary candidates that was recently undertaken by Association members following approval of a motion at Council in March 2003 and the Association now calls on all MSPs to support measures to effectively address the problems associated with indiscipline in secondary schools."

"This Association expresses its grave concerns about the operation of the probationer teachers’ one year induction scheme, especially the unfairness of the situation facing teachers who have qualified at a time or place which is out of the usual and who are refused entry to the McCrone probationer scheme, denied the opportunity to apply for a permanent post and forced to undergo a longer probation period with no support. Congress calls on the SSTA Executive to set up a group to examine these and other concerns and to report to Council, and also calls upon the Minister for Education to evaluate progress in this area and to meet with representatives of the Association to discuss these concerns."

"Congress demands of all those who seek to alter the existing promoted post structures that they make a convincing case, based on objective evidence, to demonstrate that any proposed new structure will deliver rising standards."

"Congress condemns those local authorities who are seeking to restructure management posts without any clear demonstration of an ability to continue to deliver the present education service. This Association asserts that a reduction in promoted posts in secondary schools will not contribute to “recruiting, rewarding and retaining” young teachers. The Association, therefore, calls upon the SEED and CoSLA to work with the teacher Trade Unions to find an agreed way forward."

"Congress notes the historic and continued underfunding of Scotland’s education system, and calls upon the Scottish Executive to:
• provide proper staffing to ensure pupils are taught by suitably qualified staff
• provide adequate classroom facilities
• provide proper resourcing of all courses and adequate teaching materials
• make adequate provision of auxiliary and other support staff
• properly fund CPD and make it available to all teaching staff."

"Congress notes with alarm the increasing spread of corporate advertising within schools and the use of schools and pupils for marketing purposes and calls upon the Scottish Executive to draw up a strict code of practice on advertising in schools to prevent the exploitation of young people."