Euan Duncan told the union’s annual congress last week that the spread of so-called faculty structures, which group subjects under one promoted teacher, has been a detrimental measure aimed at replacing principal teachers and cutting costs.
“Education authorities throughout Scotland have been stripping out principal teacher posts ... to save money, removing important planks of leadership and weakening the middle,” Mr Duncan said.
“There is plenty of evidence that almost all graduates are attracted by opportunities for career progression and if teaching is perceived as offering progression only for an elite few then graduates will look elsewhere.”
He also cited the government’s scrapping of the chartered teachers scheme as further limiting the prospects for many in the profession. Mr Duncan pointed to the 730 secondary vacancies at the last teacher census, and the fact that 861 teachers left before their mid-40s.
“The flatter promotion structure which has drifted into place means that far fewer opportunities exist for skilled people to achieve promotion. A few talented individuals may rise to the top helium-style, but for many other excellent teachers the wind is taken out of their sails through lack of opportunity.”
Where promotion turnover once “refreshed and aerated schools”, teachers move far less frequently nowadays, he said. This is because many of them view senior leadership roles as having become over-demanding and at odds with work/life balance.
“The SSTA is seeking to start the debate on how a few more rungs on the promotion ladder can be reintroduced, with the benefit that workload and leadership expertise will be more equitably shared and rewarded,” Mr Duncan told delegates.
“This is not about rewarding some teachers for narrow subject-specific knowledge,” he added. “It is about recruiting and retaining the right people ... Then we can start making real progress on closing the attainment gap and developing a curriculum fit for Scotland’s future.”
While some teachers are motivated and trained to lead others successfully, not all teachers want to operate in this type of management role, “which essentially takes them from the classroom and from teaching and learning”, Mr Duncan said.
“At present there is no defined role for a teacher who would wish to be recognised for their leadership of learning in the classroom.”
Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives have called on first minister Nicola Sturgeon to introduce the controversial Teach First scheme to get more graduates directly into the classroom.
Since 2012 nearly 200 Scottish graduates have joined Teach First in England, which offers accelerated training. The scheme has been ruled out in Scotland over concerns that individuals can teach a class after just a few weeks’ training. Those that successfully complete it can register to teach in Scotland later.