SCHOOL’S OUT

And not just for the pupils.  As schools close for the summer break we hear from the General Teaching Council that there are around 30,000 registered qualified teachers who are not currently teaching.  That sounds really alarming and should ring bells for the Executive.  However, as with all statistics we have to be careful about the interpretation of these figures. The General Teaching Council is the body charged with keeping a register of teachers who are qualified to teach in Scotland.  Any person who wishes to teach here has to be registered with the GTC and many keep their names on the register at an annual cost of £30 so that they could be considered for a teaching post at some time – but not necessarily now. 

I kept my name on the register for 10 years while I was doing another job entirely – working for the SNP – but it seemed prudent to stay on the register – just in case!  I am sure there are many folk who fall into that category.  I know that there are some teachers who take a break in their career in order to raise a family but who have every intention of returning to the profession when the time is right. Their names will still be on the register too. Some registered teachers will be lecturing, advising, working in the private education sector, maybe even working as a member of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Schools.  (Actually I’m not sure that’s what they’re called nowadays.)

But it is certainly possible that the majority have moved on to other things in the short term and possibly for much longer.  There will be a number of reasons for this.  Some teachers will try different jobs thinking that they may well return to teaching.  Some, who have had a bad experience, will simply leave the profession.  But I would bet that they will keep their names on the GTC Register – just in case! 

The GTC tells us that there are more registered teachers this year than ever before and new registrations are running at almost 2,000 a year.  Meanwhile morale in the profession is pretty low and Head teachers are desperately seeking supply teachers to cover when permanent teachers are off work and we hear that there are not enough teachers to do what needs to be done in the Education system.  Teaching is a stressful job but most teachers I know want to be able to do their job to the best of their ability.  Billions of pounds have been invested over the years but we don’t seem to have got it right yet.

The GTC is to carry out a survey in an attempt to discover the reasons why such a large proportion of registered teachers are not currently teaching.  This is essential when you consider that 40% of the current teaching force is due to retire within the next ten years and there is a commitment by the Executive to reduce class sizes in the first two years of secondary education.  If we cannot keep our teachers we will never be able to achieve this.

G8 COMES TO SCOTLAND

Next week - from 6th to 8th July the G8 summit meets in the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire.  This is a major international event, hosted this year by the United Kingdom, taking place in Scotland.  Associated with this meeting there is a multitude of events and activities designed in an attempt to influence the thinking of the eight most industrialized and wealthy countries of the world (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia). The British government says that this G8 is about tackling Poverty and Climate Change. I have space to mention only two of the events – chosen because they are important to me.  You can find more information on the web.

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY

On Saturday 2 July there will be a major demonstration in Edinburgh organised by "Make Poverty History" whose message emphasizes Dropping the Debt (owed by the poorest countries to the richest), Trade Justice and More and Better Aid. They say that back in 2001 the governments of the eight wealthiest nations on the planet said that they were going to do something about it - in what was seen as a breakthrough, they promised to halve world poverty by 2015.

Four years later the world is failing dismally to reach those targets.  This may be the one last chance.  This year offers a truly exceptional set of opportunities for the UK to take a lead internationally and to say that enough is enough.  With the UK hosting the G8 gathering of powerful world leaders in July as well as holding the presidency of the European Union (EU) for the second half of the year, our Government and particularly Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, will be influential players on the world stage – we must make sure they play their part. They have the power and we can make them use it.

Meeting at the Meadows in Edinburgh from 11.00am participants will march round Edinburgh in three tranches - leaving the Meadows at 12 noon, 1.00pm and 2.00pm.  At 3.00pm there will be a silence followed by the ringing of church bells all over Edinburgh. There will be speeches, stages and activities on the Meadows till about 7.30pm.

A MESSAGE FROM SCOTTISH CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT (CND)

THE G8 and FASLANE

Faslane is a Royal Navy submarine base on the Clyde 30 miles (45 km) from Glasgow and 60 miles (90 km) from Gleneagles. It's the largest military base in Scotland and home port for all four British Trident nuclear armed submarines. Nuclear weapons are the ultimate expression of militarism. On Monday 4th July 2005, as the 'leaders' of the world gather in Scotland for the G8 summit, we will be gathering just 60 miles away at the biggest and deadliest military base in Scotland to close down the base for all or part  of the day.

THE ACTION

The Faslane G8 Blockade is the eighth sit-down blockade of the Clyde Submarine base since February 2000. Over that time thousands of ordinary people, church leaders, students and politicians have taken part and over 1200 people have been arrested for sitting in the road blocking the entrances to the base.  Blockading the base is an effective way of disrupting the Trident nuclear weapon system based at Faslane. A blockade allows everyone to get involved at the level with which they are most comfortable – ranging from your simple but visible presence at the gates to being prepared to risk arrest by taking part in civil resistance.

The plan for the blockade is to close all of the gates of the Faslane base from 7 am in the morning by nonviolently using our bodies by either lying or sitting on the roadway in front of the gates. Past experience has shown that you will not risk arrest by coming to the blockade. Usually the police only arrest people who refuse to move from the roadway so it is quite safe for you to come if you want to support but not risk arrest. By blockading Faslane we're striking at a key part of the British military establishment and building on a history of highly successful and peaceful mass blockades. This will be the biggest and most effective yet.

We ask that everyone taking part in the blockade respect and follow the following non-violence guidelines:

·          Our attitude will be one of sincerity and respect towards the people we encounter

·          We will not engage in physical violence or verbal abuse toward any individual

·          We will carry no weapons

·          We will not bring or use alcohol or drugs other than for medical purposes

·          We will clear the blockade to allow emergency vehicles in or out of the base and then resume the blockade afterwards.

IDENTITY CARDS

On Tuesday in Westminster the House of Commons debated the introduction of Identity Cards.  The New Labour Government managed to get it through this stage by 31 votes but the opposition is not going away and may well increase as more people realise the implications.  As well as the already rehearsed civil liberties arguments we had the London School of Economics entering the debate with a challenge to the costings of £6 billion to £7 billion claimed by the Government.  Academics at the LSE estimated the scheme would cost a minimum of £10.6 billion and could spiral upwards towards £19.2 billion.

I cannot see how ID cards will provide extra security.  If villains can steal your identity through, for instance, false passports and false bank details I fail to understand how ID cards are going to be different.  What we actually need is more and better policing.   And surely we should realise that “terrorists” will make the acquisition of fake ID cards their top priority.  It is better intelligence that will stop terrorists, not bits of plastic, however sophisticated.

The bill requires the set-up of a national database containing details of all citizens with biometric facial recognition data.  Combine this with the growth of CCTV cameras and Big Brother really will be watching us. 

I will watch the progress of this Bill with interest.  I sense growing opposition and wonder if this is a step too far for Mr Blair.  I certainly hope so.

NEW NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS

I get angry about ID Cards; I get incandescent – forgive the pun – about the prospect of new nuclear power stations.   Tony Blair is on record as saying that a new generation of atomic reactors cannot be ruled out.   He has also said that those who rule out any new nuclear reactors are wrong.   And in answer to a question about new nuclear power stations he cast doubt on whether wind and wave farms or solar power were viable alternatives.  The speculation is that he will authorise the building of a new generation of nuclear reactors – however controversial that may be.

Scotland’s energy policy is a reserved matter – reserved to Westminster.  However planning controls are devolved to the Scottish Parliament.  Jack McConnell, the First Minister, has agreed that the Scottish Executive will block the building of any new nuclear power stations because of concerns about the disposal of radioactive waste.  I applaud the Executive for that statement.  However Mr Blair takes a different view.

In my view nuclear power is expensive and unsafe.  I cannot understand how Mr Blair and his government can consider a new generation of nuclear power stations when they have not yet worked out what to do with the waste we have already created.  The waste remains dangerous for thousands of years and, as a taxpayer, I would like to see the estimates for both the building of the new reactors and the disposal of waste when the reactors come to the end of their lives.

There must be more money invested in research into renewable energy.  There is enormous potential – especially in Scotland – for generating our energy from wind, wave and tidal power and other renewable resources.  We need the political will to make this work.  Incidentally, across the Atlantic George Bush is pushing the United States Congress towards authorising the building of a new nuclear power station.  Two minds with but a single thought?  Now why does that not surprise me?