Computing teacher to return to high school

A COMPUTING teacher is returning to a Fort William High School after a year on secondment.

Stephen Stewart was seconded from Lochaber High School by the Highland Council (HC) to another post within the authority last year.

In December, head teacher Jim Sutherland wrote to parents/carers and said that since the computing science teaching post became vacant in September, the school had advertised the vacancy three times but had had no suitable applicants.

Mr Sutherland described the situation as ‘disappointing’ but said a number of measures were put in place to offer as much support to pupils as possible. These included access to computing science notes and the redeployment of a physics teacher who, although not specialised, had extensive experience of computer programming. Mr Sutherland recently told

Lochaber Times that staff and students were looking forward to Mr Stewart’s return but added in the meantime: ‘I am confident the curriculum has been delivered and appropriate assessments have been carried out.’

Kate Forbes MSP had previously raised concern about the situation. She said: ‘I am really pleased to hear there will be a computing specialist teacher at Lochaber High School after the summer to teach the Higher and National 5 classes.

‘That doesn’t, of course, help the pupils who have not had a specialist subject this year.

‘Since I discovered there wasn’t a specialist teacher for the Higher and National 5 classes, I have been pressing Highland Council to find a teacher as soon as possible so that the pupils are not disadvantaged this year.’