Teachers seek consultation on key stage alignment
Teachers Association 16-01-18 (Photo John Bugeja) The Gibraltar Teachers' Association and National Association of Schoolteachers Union of Women Teachers not pleased with the Goverment organisational review of the proposed new school buildings
More than half the teachers who took part in a Gibraltar NASUWT survey said they agree with the Gibraltar Government’s plan to align key stages by September 2019, but most urged consultation on the move.
Of those who responded, 92% said they had not been approached for their professional opinions and 86% said the Government and Department of Education should enter into a process of meaningful consultation with teachers from both education sectors before committing to aligning key stages.
The survey was conducted to gauge the opinions of teachers and learning support assistants on the proposals, and 227 individuals responded to the email survey.
Gibraltar NASUWT said it understands that the process of consultation has not yet begun and that the Government has expressed a desire to engage teachers in this matter via the Department of Education in due course.
A spokesman for the union said: “We would like these results to serve as the catalyst for this process of consultation and for the official side to be aware of how the profession feels about key stage alignment at this moment in time, the majority of whom are clearly in favour of the alignment of the key stages.”
“The findings from the question - Do you think that the Government and Department of Education should enter into a process of meaningful consultation with teachers from both education sectors before committing to aligning the key stages? - is undoubtedly the most cogent as they fall in line with discussions we have had at general meetings in the recent past.”
“As with other issues, the large majority of teachers and learning support assistants wish to form part of any process that aims to change our education system.”
“This does not mean that they wish to dictate to the official side or to resist change gratuitously, but as important stakeholders they wish be included into mechanisms of meaningful consultation before decisions are taken by the official side.”
A complete breakdown of the survey results can be found on the Gibraltar Teachers’ Association Facebook page.
