Children and young people's voices matter: progress report - January 2020

Schools and Learning

5 We will build on our work since the 2017 Cabinet meeting, looking at how we can involve children in teacher training.

Children in Scotland wrote a report on the views of children and young people’s experiences and expectations of teachers – looking at what makes a good teacher. The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) are using this report to make sure that children and young people’s views are used to inform the values and personal commitments that teachers are expected to show, which sit at the heart of their professional standards and it is these standards that inform the content of initial teacher education programmes.

GTCS have also asked Children in Scotland to carry out more engagement with children and young people. The findings will contribute to the consultation on reviewing the Professional Standards and Professional Code for teachers, which will be introduced for the 2020/21 school session. GTCS are expecting a further report on this engagement from Children in Scotland very soon that will give additional views from children and young people.

MCPs would like to know where children are being involved in teacher training in Scotland.

Engagement with children will be through the student placement which is a significant element of each programme.

6 We will build on our work to encourage local authorities and universities to take applicants’ qualities into account during the recruitment process for teachers.

We – along with the Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE) – have ongoing discussions with Initial Teacher Education (ITE) institutions on their recruitment practices.We will build on our work to encourage local authorities and universities to take applicants’ qualities into account during the recruitment process for teachers.

Although the recruitment of teachers is a matter for local authorities, the GTCS Professional Standards currently require registered teachers to demonstrate values and personal commitments that directly link to understanding children and young people’s needs.

These same professional standards have been revised and are currently the subject of consultation, which ended on 20 December 2019. Once we have evaluated the consultation replies, we will think about whether we need to do anything else.

7 We will continue to liaise with the General Teaching Council for Scotland to encourage the implementation of the review recommendations set out in the September 2018 Review of the Professional Standards: The Experiences of Children and Young People, and ensure the measures for managing unacceptable behaviour by teachers is robust (e.g. swearing).

We continue to work closely with GTCS on this issue. As mentioned in Action 5, Children in Scotland recently carried out a consultation with children and young people on what makes a good teacher. This report is now publicly available and the GTCS will be reviewing these findings, in addition to any wider public consultation responses, with a view to implementing revised teacher professional standards for the 2020/21 school session.

MCPs would like to find out about the revised teacher professional standards when these are introduced.

8 We will continue to work with stakeholders to support the preservation of instrumental music tuition in Scotland.

This was a 2018/19 Programme for Government commitment which is ongoing. In 2019, we worked with the Music Education Partnership Group and COSLA to produce guidance to local authorities on charging for instrumental music tuition and Ministers have, and continue to, engage regularly with key stakeholders.

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, attended a Play to Learn event in Glasgow in June and listened to the views of young people on instrumental music tuition. The Deputy First Minister held a positive meeting with music stakeholders, including young people, in St Andrews House in September and reaffirmed his commitment to a continuing dialogue with them.