Busy teachers ‘have no time to go to the toilet’

EDUCATION: MSPs told of excessive workload and issues with training courses

Teachers are so busy they do not have time to go to the toilet, a Perthshire member of staff has told MSPs.

Trainee and newly-qualified teachers also lifted the lid on the shortcomings of university courses in preparing them for the classroom, during the evidence session at Holyrood yesterday.

In a stark warning, Halla Price, who is in her final year of a Bachelor of Education course in Edinburgh, said: “I do not believe that everyone graduating from Moray House this year has the sufficient skills in numeracy to be able to teach it to 11-year-olds at a reasonable standard.”

Meanwhile, Linda Robertson, a newly-qualified computer science teacher in Perth and Kinross, said excessive workload will force staff to leave the profession before retirement age.

She said she has come from industry, adding: “I have never worked so hard. I can’t imagine working to 67 at that level. Some days you can’t even go to the toilet or have lunch.”

A common gripe was the “constant change” brought about by ministers wanting to bring in their own reforms.

Ms Robertson suggested putting a non-political body in charge of education.

She said: “Every time we get a new minister for education they want to make their role, they want to feel as if they have had an effect, so they change things. But do they necessarily change things for the benefit of the pupils?

“The latest Pisa results would suggest not. So is there a case for having a non-political body in charge that doesn’t change every time a minister changes?”

The education committee was taking evidence from the trainees as part of its inquiry into workforce planning in schools.

The time devoted to the basics of literacy and numeracy on teacher training courses was among a raft of concerns outlined by trainee teachers in session.

William MacLeod, who is studying a postgraduate course to become a secondary technology teacher, said: “The problem that we have at the university that I am currently attending – the likes of literacy, there would be a single week where we would focus on literacy – that would be it, one week.”

He added: “I think literacy I would have less of an issue with, because literacy is being worked on throughout when we are doing essays, etc.

“I would have more of an issue with numeracy because there is less chance for the university lecturers to see that we are numerate. Going back to the basics on these would be helpful.”

It comes a day after the publication of the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy showed declines in reading and writing among primary and secondary age pupils.

Education Secretary John Swinney said the results are “not good enough” and reinforced the need for improved data on pupil performance and giving headteachers more autonomy.