No-one should be doubting the commitment of our teachers
DOUG Marr’s ill-judged comments on the teaching profession
(“NHS has shown the way but will teachers rise to challenge?”, The Herald, April 10) require a response.
Teachers would agree with Mr Marr that “NHS staff have gone more than the extra mile” during the current crisis; indeed the overwhelming numbers of teachers who have volunteered to staff the Support Hubs for the children of frontline workers such as medical staff, care staff and for vulnerable children at risk, is testimony to that recognition and, indeed, to the willingness of teachers to also
“act selflessly” in this period of crisis.
Staff in these hubs are designated as Category 1 workers in recognition of the importance of the hubs to maintaining our society’s capacity to cope with Covid-19.
Other teaching staff are working to deliver some continuity of learning to children and young people but, more importantly, to provide critical pastoral support and care in relation to students’ wellbeing, mental health and resilience.
Mr Marr too lightly dismisses these actions of teachers to
“spice up” his comment piece.
Clearly, a recovery plan will be required to reset Scottish education, not least because of the real impact that school closures will have had on the most disadvantaged; at its heart will be the continuing professionalism and commitment of Scotland’s teachers.
Larry Flanagan,
General Secretary,
Educational Institute of Scotland, Edinburgh, EH3.
DOUG MARR must be very retired and not in contact with his former peers who are still in school. His article in Friday’s Herald, while no doubt written with the best of intentions, suggests he has no idea how much work school teams and local authorities are currently doing.
In addition to large numbers of teachers and other school staff reporting for work to keep hub schools open for vulnerable pupils and those of key workers – many over the Easter break and in some places at weekends – huge amounts of work is being done to support home learning.
These teachers have had their normal ways of working turned upside down overnight and are working extremely hard to support learning for all.
This includes taking advantage of online tools where possible and seeking to provide hard copy materials where it isn’t. It also includes school leaders keeping in regular contact with families, particularly those with vulnerable children.
Yes, our schools are still relatively new to all of this and it is a huge learning curve for everyone. Teachers are adapting and developing practice daily. No-one is sitting at home doing nothing.
Mr Marr’s article belittles the huge amount of work being put in by school teams. His comments do not tally at all with the dedication and professionalism I have witnessed over recent weeks.
Greg Dempster,
General Secretary,
Association of Headteachers and Deputes in Scotland, Inverurie.
WHILST Doug Marr’s article makes clear and fair points throughout, I take exception to his final statement. We are to “react equally selflessly”?
I would never ever dispute the extreme hard work, dedication and selflessness of our NHS heroes and key workers across the country. To me, however, this statement insinuates teachers across the country are not already doing this. While I can’t speak for all schools in the UK, my colleagues and I have all, where possible, willingly volunteered to care for children of key workers, putting ourselves at risk each time we enter the school building and increasing our chances of contracting Covid-19.
On top of that, in the two weeks prior to the holidays, as well as the days leading up to the school closures, my colleagues and I worked tirelessly to develop an online learning platform. Trying to change your practice in that short timeframe is a challenge, I assure you.
We spent those two weeks, hours in front of the computer, planning, implementing and marking work, responding to parent queries and questions and sending videos and messages of support and encouragement to our naturally worried pupils.
We are now in our school holidays so, naturally, this is to be a time for rest and recuperation. Not quite – we have continued to volunteer our time to be in school, again looking after pupils where families need us most.
I couldn’t be prouder to support them. Next week, I will have to open my forward plan, film videos and create resources for my pupils returning to “remote learning” after the holidays.
Next time, Mr Marr ought to show a little consideration for those actually working at the class level just now, who are making the most out of a trying and difficult time for all schools up and down the country.
Sacha Taylor,
Class teacher,
Glasgow.
Letters to the Editor, which should not exceed 500 words, must include a full address (not for publication) and contact number for verification. Email letters@theherald.co.uk, or post to Letters, The Herald, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow G2 3QB. We may edit submissions.
AN often-used message by Nicola Sturgeon to justify another referendum was that there had been a “material change” since the 2014 referendum following the Uk-wide vote to leave the European Union in 2016.
Moving on, we find ourselves in unprecedented times as we struggle (regardless of cost) to save lives in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, some estimates suggest the extra shared cost for the UK could be around £1 trillion, which would increase the national debt by
50 per cent.
Basically, this means there has been a significant “material change” in Scotland’s financial position since the last SNP conference when all sorts of fanciful promises were made about establishing our own currency and so on. Compounding the problem for an independent Scotland has been the crash in oil prices, which at the current level would produce little or no tax revenues.
Furthermore, there are serious divisions opening up in the EU with key politicians in Italy and Spain calling for “common debt” (coronabonds), otherwise the
“very existence” of the EU would be at stake.
Taking the above into consideration there are now no credible commentators left who believe there is the slightest chance Scotland could leave the UK or that it would be in our interests to join a divided EU. Perhaps it is now time for Ms Sturgeon to be honest with her followers and explain there has indeed been a “material change”, but this time it means they need to accept the cost of leaving the UK is too great for at least a “generation” or more to come.
Ian Lakin, Aberdeen, AB13.
I FOUND much to agree with in Doug Maughan and Iain Millar’s letters (April 10) about Labour and its new leadership. In fact,when I read Neil Findlay’s letter (April 9) I started to write a reply that began “Well, that (my green shoots of optimism reconciliation) didn’t last long”.
It showed the enormity – impossibility, I’m beginning to think – of the task, and the stupidity and pigheadedness of the people Jackie Baillie, Ian Murray and Sir Keir Starmer are up against.
I’ve spoken to many Labour supporters, including an MSP, whose needles are stuck in the groove that the SNP wedged them into, marked “you lost in Scotland because you sided with the Tories in 2014”.
No they didn’t, they squandered the huge thanks and goodwill of two million No voters by failing to unite in their opposition to Indyref2 and come up with the leadership and policies to win any of the subsequent elections; indeed, as Mr Millar quotes, democratically “ridding Scotland” of its SNP government.
And now this capitulation into federalism or more devolution appeasement, an unworkable approach (for all the reasons that Mr Maughan and Ruth Marr in her letter of April 10 gave) that was theme of a frustrating speech by Gordon Brown, one of my heroes of 2014, at the recent
These Islands conference.
For all the economic, social, security, Covid-19, and Brexit reasons that are regularly aired in these columns I disagree with the conclusion that independence is the answer. In fact, I’m one of a growing number who think devolution has failed and should be morphed into something more agile and effective.
Reduce the bloated 188 MP and MSP count to 59 talented MPS, boost the Scottish Office’s power in Westminster and power in Scotland by having ministers in political charge of the main devolved departments and a civil service immune to the bullying and patronage that seems to have infected Holyrood.
And get behind Andy Burnham’s
City Region vision that is working so well in Manchester.
I have heard it explained at These Islands and a conference run by Aberdeen City and Shire, whose administrations, frustrated by SNP centralised, back the idea.
Scottish Labour leaders could do worse than pay a visit to Aberdeen, see how effectively the joint Labour and Conservative administrations are working, copy their ideas and reverse the bulky, vindictive suspension of its Labour group.
There is a long way to go.
Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven.
IF the Scottish Labour Party is serious about trying to regain lost ground, and to provide a credible opposition to the SNP, it must get rid of its current ineffectual leader, who has been a complete disaster. As a floating voter, I feel a team of Jackie Baillie and Anas Sarwar might just begin to appeal as an alternative, provided the party can overcome what appears to be its many prejudices.
John N E Rankin, Bridge of Allan.