1. CONGRESS 2003

The following are the main items from Congress 2003 held in Coylumbridge on 16 and 17 May.

(a) Presidential Address
The President, George Sturrock, addressed Congress on educational matters during the life of the of the first Scottish Parliament.

(b) Life membership
Life Membership of the Association was conferred on Angela Gallagher, former Midlothian District Secretary and Donald Halliday, Past President.

(c) Finance Committee
The Report of the Finance Committee and Accounts for 2002 were approved. A copy of the Report and Accounts will be sent to all school representatives with this Bulletin and may be consulted by members.

The Financial Statement to 31 December 2002, as required by law, appears later in this bulletin.

(d) Guests at Congress
The Association was joined by guests from the political parties, teacher unions from throughout the UK and oversees and Highland Council, who generously provided a civic reception.

The HMI Chief Inspector of Education, Graham Donaldson, addressed Congress and answered questions.

(e) Motions to Congress
The following motions were approved;

• 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.

2. COUNCIL 7 JUNE 2003

(a) Elections

The following members were elected to the following Committees:

Executive: Ann Ballinger, Annette Ferri, John Gray, Bill Guthrie, Margaret Potter, Peter Wright.

Finance: John Crichton, Andrew Moore, Syd Sandison, Margaret Smith.

Education: Marie Allan, Ann Ballinger, Nesella Barr, Tom Ferguson, Bill Fitzpatrick, Robert Hands, Gina Hay, Robert Macmillan, Maureen Michael, David Paterson, Morag Porter.

Health & Safety: John Boyle, Joe Cowan, Malcolm Gracie, Roger Griffith, Bill Guthrie, Kaye Macaskill, David Macdonald, Donald MacDougall, Angus McIvor, Ian Middleditch, Andrew Moore, Ann Simpson.

(b) Reports

Council heard reports on the National Qualifications Task Group, and the McCrone Implementation Working Groups.

(c) Emergency Motion

Council heard a report from the President, Vice President and General Secretary on the EIS AGM in Perth. Following this report, the undernoted emergency motion was passed unanimously.

• Council records its thanks to those members who have represented the Association on the Working Groups within the McCrone Implementation process.

Council wholly endorses the work done by our representatives on the Working Groups and congratulates them on effectively representing the views of members of this Association.

Council regrets that the outcomes of some of these Groups have not met the expectations of the Association, and commits the Association to continuing to oppose those aspects of the implementation process with which the Association does not agree.

3. FINANCIAL STATEMENT

(As required by S 32A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 as amended)

The Association does not maintain a political fund

4. AUDITORS REPORT

We have audited the accounts of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association for the year ended 31 December 2002 which comprise pages 5 to 12. The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention and the accounting policies set out therein.

Respective responsibilities of the members of the finance committee and auditors

Members of the Finance Committee are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards.

Our responsibility is to audit the accounts in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and United Kingdom Auditing Standards.

We report to you our opinion as to whether the accounts give a true and fair view. We also report to you if, in our opinion, the Report of the Finance Committee is not consistent with the accounts, if the Association has not kept proper accounting records, or if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

We read the Report of the Finance Committee and consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements within it.

Basis of audit opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with United Kingdom Auditing Standards issued by the Auditing Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the accounts. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the members of the Finance Committee in the preparation of the accounts, and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Association’s circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.

We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the accounts are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the accounts.

Opinion
In our opinion the accounts give a true and fair view of the state of the Association’s affairs as at 31 December 2002 and of its surplus for the year then ended.

Tindell, Grant & Co, Registered Auditors
32 Main Street, St Ninians, Stirling, FK7 9AP
17 April 2001

5. STATEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH S 32A 6(A) OF THE ACT

“A member who is concerned that some irregularity may be occurring, or have occurred, in the conduct of the financial affairs of the union may take steps with a view to investigating further, obtaining clarification and, if necessary, securing regularisation of that conduct.

The member may raise any such concern with such one or more of the following as it seems appropriate to raise it with: the officials of the union, the trustees of the property of the union, the auditor or auditors of the union, the Certification Officer (who is an independent officer appointed by the Secretary of State) and the police.

Where a member believes that the financial affairs of the union have been or are being conducted in breach of the law or in breach of rules of the union and contemplates bringing civil proceedings against the union or responsible officials or trustees, he should consider obtaining independent legal advice.”

A copy of the full financial report has been issued to each school representative and will be available for inspection. Any member wishing an additional copy should write to the General Secretary.

6. STUC BLACK WORKERS’ CONFERENCE

The Annual Black Workers’ Conference will be held in Glasgow over the weekend of 20 – 21 September 2003. The conference will debate matters of relevance to the black community, as well as wider, equal opportunities issues.

Members from black/ethnic backgrounds who would be willing to attend this conference as SSTA delegates are asked to contact Assistant General Secretary Barbara Clark at Head Office as soon as possible, but no later than 23 June 2003.

The Association will cover travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses of delegates.

7. PROBATIONERS’ CONFERENCE

This year the Probationer conference will be divided into a number of different locations to make it more accessible to those outwith the central belt. Full details will be sent to schools in August and will be posted on the website.

8. MEMBERSHIP

It would be extremely helpful if members who are retiring at this time of year would notify the Association offices of the fact. Members who transfer school should also let the office know of their new school details.

Office staff would be grateful to all members who move home address during the summer to contact with a note of their new private address.

9. OFFICE HOURS DURING THE SUMMER

The office opening hours will occasionally change during July and August due to the summer holidays. If at any time this occurs, a message with further details with be left on the answering service.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish every member a relaxing and enjoyable summer break.

ALAN McKENZIE, President
DAVID EAGLESHAM, General Secretary