It is easy to understand why, in the current financial situation, some local authorities would like teachers to spend a couple of hours longer in the classroom each week.
It is easy to understand why, in the current financial situation, some local authorities would like teachers to spend a couple of hours longer in the classroom each week.
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If Scottish teachers were to sacrifice some or all of their marking and preparation time within the school day, councils would not need to employ teachers to cover for them.
However, as yesterday's figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) clearly demonstrate, Scottish teachers are already spending around 150 hours a year longer teaching than the international average, measured across 38 countries. These figures provide grist to the mill for teaching unions who claim the current balance between a teacher's contact and non-contact time with pupils cannot be altered without damaging the quality of the educational product. That time is particularly important against the backdrop of the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence, which requires the preparation of a large quantity of extra material.
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Lessons to be learned from teachers' heavy workload
It is easy to understand why, in the current financial situation, some local authorities would like teachers to spend a couple of hours longer in the classroom each week.
If Scottish teachers were to sacrifice some or all of their marking and preparation time within the school day, councils would not need to employ teachers to cover for them.
However, as yesterday's figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) clearly demonstrate, Scottish teachers are already spending around 150 hours a year longer teaching than the international average, measured across 38 countries. These figures provide grist to the mill for teaching unions who claim the current balance between a teacher's contact and non-contact time with pupils cannot be altered without damaging the quality of the educational product. That time is particularly important against the backdrop of the introduction of the Curriculum for Excellence, which requires the preparation of a large quantity of extra material.
Commenting & Moderation
We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.
Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.
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