The following motions were approved at the Association's 62nd Annual Congress, 12-13 May 2006 , Hilton Coylumbridge, Aviemore.

EMERGENCY MOTION

The Association welcomes the publication by Audit Scotland of “A Mid Term Report – a first stage review of the cost and implementation of the teachers’ agreement ‘A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century’”, and commends the analyses which it provides.

Congress deplores, however, the misleading inferences, being drawn from the report by certain commentators, which imply that ‘value for money’ has not been delivered by the Agreement.

Congress asserts that the Agreement, despite its acknowledged shortcomings, has brought about great improvements in the education system in Scotland for pupils, parents, teachers and the community.

That this Association continues to express its concern at the establishment of faculty arrangements in secondary schools in Scotland, and consequently demands that the Scottish Executive sets in motion an independent academic review of those arrangements and that the review findings be published widely to all interested parties.

This Association calls upon the Scottish Executive Education Department to commission an immediate study of the impact of the changing promoted post structures on support for those students undertaking Initial Teacher Education and Probationary Teachers attempting to achieve the Standard for Full Registration.

This Association expresses concern about the implementation of the Chartered Teacher programme, in particular, its inaccessibility to many teachers because of the self funding requirement.

Congress calls on SEED to undertake a review of the programme’s implementation to ensure, inter alia, its accessibility to all teachers who wish to consider undertaking it.

This Association affirms the right of all teachers who acquire statutory employment rights to benefit from all conditions of service which apply to teachers holding full time permanent posts.

This Association urges all interested parties to ensure that History is retained as a discrete subject in the curriculum offered at all stages within Scottish secondary schools.

The Association congratulates the Scottish Executive on their proposal to reduce class sizes in English and Maths to 20 in S1-2 and looks forward to their extending this to all subjects.

This Association condemns funding cuts in schools and the damaging effects of such cuts on learning and teaching.

This Association urges the Scottish Executive to help tackle the growing rise in obesity and other diet related illnesses in school children in Scotland by ensuring that basic food preparation skills form part of every young person’s education from S1 to S6.

This Association reminds all Scottish local authorities of their duty of care to their staff. It is with alarm that the Association notes the number of teachers absent through stress related illness. Congress therefore calls on all local authorities to investigate industry-wide good practice to ensure that appropriate mechanisms are in place to identify and support staff with such illnesses.

The Association commends the courage of teachers in Afghanistan who, at the risk of their own lives, continue to teach all young people in their communities regardless of gender. Congress calls on Education International to explore ways in which practical assistance may be rendered to our Afghan colleagues.