Scotland’s largest teaching union has opened a consultative strike ballot over a local authority’s proposals to move to a faculty structure in secondary schools.
The ballot over the Dundee City Council plans will run until 21 March, and the EIS teaching union is urging all of its members in Dundee secondary schools to use their vote to support strike action.
Faculties have long been established in many parts of Scotland and involve more than one subject being grouped together under the leadership of a faculty head, as opposed to the more traditional approach of each subject having its own principal teacher.
Faculties have often proven controversial, with opponents arguing that they are driven by cost-cutting rather than the improvement of educational standards. In 2016, Scottish teaching unions were successful in staving off their introduction in West Dunbartonshire.
In Dundee, the EIS says the plans will cost money to implement and will “remove invaluable experience and leadership from individual departments”.
Dundee EIS secretary David Baxter said: “There is absolutely no sound educational rationale for moving secondary schools to a faculty structure. These proposals would remove subject-specialist principal teachers from our schools, with damaging consequences for pupils and staff alike.
“The loss of subject principal teachers would remove invaluable experience and leadership from individual departments, while also increasing workload demands on class teachers and promoted staff. Dundee Council’s plans will damage our secondary schools and bring no discernible benefit for students or staff.”
Mr Baxter added: “In cases where other councils have sought to move to faculty structures, they have made the argument that this will lead to cost savings. Yet, the proposals put forward by Dundee Council will actually cost money to implement, with any potential savings coming many years in the future.”
He said that “already stretched school budgets” would have less money for resources and staffing, with “damaging consequences for the young people learning in Dundee’s secondary schools”.
Stewart Hunter, Dundee City Council children and families service convener, said: “The change is designed to improve the quality of learning and teaching in our secondary schools by providing enhanced whole-school leadership that can better support pupils and improve outcomes.
“It is only one of a range of measures that are being taken forward in Dundee schools to improve the situation as we work to reduce the attainment gap.”
Mr Hunter added: “The curriculum has moved on hugely in recent years and there are now different pathways to develop skills for learning, life and work.
“Faculties provide a much more integrated and effective approach than is possible through the current system.
“We all want to give our young people better life chances when they leave school. I believe that by moving our secondary schools to a faculty structure, we will be making significant steps to help achieve this.”
