Govt boosts teacher complement

The Gibraltar Government has added 36 teachers to its complement of permanent teaching staff, No.6 Convent Place said yesterday.

The decision follows the announcement by the Minister for Education, Dr John Cortes, at the budget session of Parliament to make all 15 Special Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) full time.

Now, an additional 16 posts have been provided to take account of the increased school population following Key Stage re-alignment and the consequent expansion of the new, co-educational Comprehensive Schools.

This means that, together with five posts which were vacant, a total of 36 teachers were yesterday informed that they will be added to the complement.

“Work on the new schools is proceeding apace, but it isn’t just about buildings and equipment," Dr Cortes said.

WWe are also making sure that we have the professional staff available to properly deal with the increase in the number of children who are going to be taught as from September."

"I am very pleased indeed that we have been able to increase the complement of teachers once again and look forward to working with them in moving Education in Gibraltar forward.”

The Gibraltar Government said that in 2010, it converted 47 teachers from supply to permanent posts.

That means that over two terms in office, the government had increased the teaching complement by 78 posts.

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: “I am extremely proud that this Government is able to invest in the most important areas of our society."

"We promised an education revolution, and we are delivering exactly that."

"This is an investment in the needs of our community today as well as those of tomorrow."

"This government’s sound financial management enables us, rightly, to spend on our children and the professionals who work hard to give them the best future possible.”