Dear All
It seems that education secretary Mike Russell who runs arguably one of the worst managed portfolios in the Scottish Government is losing the trust of senior people.
The outgoing president of Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, Alan Munro has used his last speech before he steps down to launch a stinging attack on Mike Russell.
Munro also warned of looming “industrial strife” in the sector.
As well as speaking out on these matters, Munro accused the SNP Minister of threatening behaviour over requests to delay National Qualifications.
Only yesterday in reply to a poster, I highlight how the Scottish Government in my opinion had stopped listening.
Today, Munro gives his input.
Alan Munro specifically accuses Mike Russell of “dismaying and demoralising” sections of the profession and being “sinister” and “threatening” over requests to delay the new National Qualifications.
Ideally, the CfE should have been taken offline; a review carried out by a trust academic body in conjunction with other professional bodies to work out the kinks and then allowed a phased integration of the new qualification principles to be implemented.
To get everyone onboard!
Munro has also expressed concern that there will be future industrial action over teachers’ pensions and council cuts.
That is a given, post independence referendum; there will be savage cuts because at present there is an artificial buoying up of the Scottish budget.
When that crash happens, it will be carnage in the education sector.
So, it is a bump ride as Delegates meeting for EIS AGM in Dundee have put forward five motions calling for industrial action.
Their reasons are pretty standard, pay, conditions, pensions, public sector cuts and ongoing changes to the school curriculum.
The annual gathering will hear calls for a strike if the Scottish Government does not postpone the introduction of the National Qualifications for a year.
There is no reason why the SNP Government should be in this position, clearly there is a problem in CfE and clearly Mike Russell isn’t listening.
The SNP Government is as I have said over many months, completely paralysed as SNP Ministers effectively abandon their briefs in favour of independence; the blowback isn’t unexpected as we see across many of the portfolios.
The University sector is a mess, the college sector is a mess, CfE isn’t ready for schools, staff moral is at rock bottom, and nothing of merit is getting done.
It seems that being Alex Salmond's pal and part of the middle class clique really isn't enough in the real world.
Mike Russell’s report card could read;
‘Mike is a popular boy with the head pupil but lacks focus and direction, his work is poor and overly simplistic, easily distracted by indy he struggles to make correct decisions by being unable to be a creative thinker’. 3/10.
George Laird was right again and ahead of the curve, the solution is to shelf CfE and have it externally reviewed and a new consultation.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
3 comments:
Teachers are correct to see him as sinister George.
With the aid of the Daily Ranger and a creepy universally despised neighbour with a nasty disposition he allegedly (the story was told to me direct by the person involved) stitched a fellow politician (Labour).
This politician wasn't really cut out for the hurly burly of politics - too decent.
But the picture painted of her by the Ranger was that she was an anti-social neighbour from hell and smeared her as a despicable individual.
Neither was true. In fact, she was being a good mother and civic neighbour, as a quick visit to some of her distressed neighbours verified.
Facts didn't seem to matter to the Record or Russell.
He succeeded in having a decent woman smeared for whatever reason was going through his twisted mind.
I've still to work out what he gained by the behaviour.
As I've said in an earlier post. It's why he's the only politician I've dealt with whom I've actively disliked.
Now he's the minister for education when my youngest is due to go up to the 'big' school next term.
Not to put too fine a point on it George, I'm shitting myself for the wee yin.
Dear Longshanker
I met him once in passing, never exchanged words.
In the SNP, I found that smearing is common and that the senior leadership will not act, right up to Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell.
The SNP has done well, now stick around as they do not so well, after Salmond steps down, it will be Nicola Sturgeon who will lead the party into the political wilderness, I've met her too.
And what she has behind her as 'allies' will convince people to think again about how they vote.
The next leader of the SNP should come from Dundee, I favour John Swinney, and Alex Neil as deputy.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Don't know too much about Swinney. Agree with you about Alex Neil.
Back in the day, if I needed to speak to him, he always got back the same day.
On the rare occasion that he couldn't speak to me on phone, he would always phone the next day, early.
Have a lot of respect for Alex. Don't necessarily agree with his policies, but I'll always listen with interest to what he has to say.
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