22nd February 2010 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The new curriculum in Scotland may lead to a number of teachers being declared incompetent, and sacked, the BBC has reported. Mike Russell, the education secretary was responding to criticisms regarding the changes to education, and stated that if teachers are not up to the job then they may have to leave the profession.
The changes to the curriculum have been to give teachers more autonomy, and decrease the reliance on lesson plans. It’s hoped that this will allow teachers to teach in the way that they think is best, rather than restricting their influence in the classroom. However, many teachers have complained that the new system is ‘ill-defined’, and that they’re unsure about what they should be teaching.
Mr. Russell has defended the changes. He thinks that the role of a teacher must be to undertake regular training to improve their skill, and to adapt to changes in the curriculum. Head teachers have expressed concerns that some teachers are simply not competent, and will not be able to adapt to the changes, but the message to those teachers is clear; that their talents lie outside the profession of teaching.