The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Davidson claims teachers being told to shut up
Teachers are being “strong-armed to keep their mouths shut” and prevented from speaking out about problems in Scotland’s schools, Ruth Davidson has claimed.
The Scottish Conservative leader challenged the first minister on the “culture of fear and secrecy” after an anonymous primary school teacher condemned the “teaching crisis”.
The teacher, who has more than 13 years of experience, told Education Secretary John Swinney in a letter: “I am not sure of the extent to which you are aware of how bad things are.
“When you visit schools, people are most likely to tell you what you want to hear, through fear of repercussions. If you were able to canvas teachers directly, perhaps through an anonymous survey, then that would show you the real struggles that teachers are having.
“I sincerely hope that you take the content of this letter very seriously, because I know that I am starting to feel quite disillusioned with the SNP government’s lack of concern for our failing education system at present. I do believe that this is down to a lack of understanding of real difficulties schools and teachers face.”
The teacher said a colleague had arranged to meet the education secretary to raise concerns directly – but was told “if they went ahead with this meeting they would be disciplined”.
Raising the issue at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Davidson said: “What has it come to when public servants with experience and knowledge in their area are being strongarmed to keep their mouths shut because it might embarrass the education secretary?
“We’re not talking about a political opponent here, this teacher isn’t point scoring, we’re talking about a teacher who in the letter makes clear that she is an SNP supporter and voter and yet she now fears she isn’t being listened to and has to speak out under the cloak of anonymity in order to avoid being stamped on.”
However, Ms Sturgeon was insistent teachers and other public servants can raise concerns with her and her ministers and stressed it is “unacceptable” for councils to use the threat of disciplinary procedures to prevent staff from speaking out.
The first minister said: “There are many serious issues in that letter that Ruth Davidson could have raised today... but on this issue she is on extremely weak ground.
“In this case the deputy first minister agreed to meet a teacher. It was the local authority who advised that teacher not to meet.
“We do not decree that local authorities should do that – on the contrary, any decree coming from me today to local authorities is that is unacceptable, that teachers should be free to contact me as first minister, the deputy first minister as education secretary, or any member of my government.”