Teachers have every right to expect a reduced workload
Many carry out hours of unpaid work each week, often having to mark pupils’ work and prepare for classes in their own time.
The SNP made a commitment in their 2021 manifesto to cut their classroom time by 90 minutes a week to 21 hours. But the Scottish Government has still not delivered after four years of stalling.
It is no wonder patience is running out and it looks like both sides are heading towards an industrial dispute. This sort of pressure is unacceptable for workers who are in a role that could scarcely be more important.
The nation’s children are in teachers’ hands and they must be at their best to provide a first class education and help prepare our young ones for life.
The extra strain they are put under can only have a negative impact on our children’s learning and development.
Increased levels of stress and fatigue are a by-product of overwork. The knock-on effect is the children will not get the support they deserved and need.
The EIS union is right to raise concerns. Hopefully their Monday noon deadline for proposals to be made by Cosla and the Scottish Government will help focus minds and help resolve the issue.
Industrial action must be avoided and the only way that can be done is for the promises made to teachers to be kept.
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Don’t ignore the signs of cancer
We commend brave Grant Maclachan for opening up about his terrifying ordeal with prostate cancer. The 55-year-old firefighter, from Auchterarder, Perthshire, may well save lives in the future by coming forward the way he has.
He told the Record how his wife encouraged him to get checked by his GP when he experienced issues two years ago.
A hellish period in his life ensued as he was diagnosed with the cancer which is known for its prevalence in older men. That’s a generation of men in Scotland who can be notoriously bad at checking things with the doctor.
Lots of men can be guilty of brushing off medical issues to save face or simply to avoid confronting the problem. It’s fantastic that Grant has beaten the disease and can get on with his life.
For so many, issues like prostate cancer are caught too late to make a difference. We hope Grant’s story encourages other men not to suffer in silence.
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