§ 23rd October, 1967.
§ Dear Sir,
§ Report of the Roberts Committee
§ The Secretary of State has asked me to convey to you certain conclusions which he has reached on the recommendations in the Report of the Committee appointed by him under the Chairmanship of Dame Jean Roberts on "Measures to Secure a More Equitable Distribution of Teachers in Scotland".
§ In view of the measure of disagreement expressed in the comments made to him on the Report by educational bodies, and in view also of the Government's policies on prices and incomes during the periods of "standstill" and "severe restraint", the Secretary of State felt unable to take action on the basis of the Committee's recommendations as they stood. Nevertheless he has had much in mind the need to take all practicable steps to improve the distribution of teachers and to mitigate the effects of the severe shortage of staff in particular schools, and he accepts that a scheme for additional payments to teachers in designated schools would be valuable for this purpose.
§ He expects shortly to constitute the new salary negotiating body under the Remuneration of Teachers (Scotland) Act, and he proposes thereafter to put detailed proposals to the management side as a basis for the negotiation of a scheme of supplementary payments on the lines of the Report to take effect from 1st April 1968 as part of the revision of salaries due from that date.
§ The main recommendation in the Report was that teachers in schools designated as schools of temporary shortage should have an addition to salary of £100 a year, within an overall limit of 10 per cent. of the total number of certificated teachers. This recommendation the Secretary of State accepts in principle, but he considers that modifications ought to be made in its practical application in order to concentrate the assistance in those areas where the shortage of teachers is most 379W serious. The Secretary of State does not wish in any way to prejudice consideration of the detailed proposals which he will be bringing forward, or the subsequent negotiations, but he thinks it right to give an indication at this stage of the modifications which he for his part would think it desirable should be made.
§ The Committee's proposals for the designation of schools depend, among other things, on the definition of national averages for pupil/teacher ratios for schools of different types and sizes; and they also involve as well as an overall limit on the number of teachers whose salaries may be supplemented, representing 10 per cent. of the total number of certificated teachers in the schools, a corresponding limit in individual education authority areas. The Secretary of State would consider it preferable not to proceed on the basis of national average pupil /teacher ratios associated with a limit of 10 per cent. for individual education authority areas. He believe that, in determining the extent to which schools may be designated, there are strong arguments for adopting a system of "weighted quotas" reflecting the relative shortage of teachers in individual education authority areas in order to concentrate the assistance which the scheme would afford on those areas which, on a comparative basis, are relatively worst placed.
§ To test this approach the Secretary of State has had carried out a comparative analysis of pupil/teacher ratios over the country as a whole in order to show the distribution as between education authority areas of the most poorly staffed schools. This showed that these schools were very largely concentrated in a very few education areas. On this approach provisional "quotas" of posts can be derived to govern the designation of schools which would concentrate the measure of assistance which the scheme would give on those areas where the shortage of teachers is most serious. These areas which would benefit would include Ayrshire, Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Education Authorities; but otherwise no more than a few authorities would be likely to be involved.
§ I am asked to stress that what is said above about the effect of the approach which the Secretary of State would himself favour is intended purely to illustrate the nature of the modifications which he considers ought to be made in the application of the Report's main recommendation. He is not concerned at this juncture to make detailed or specific proposals: these will be brought forward shortly in the management side of the salary negotiating body.
§ On the related recommendation of the Roberts Committee for payment to teachers in respect of travelling expenses the Secretary of State would propose to consult the local authority associations in the first instance, subject to the progress of negotiations on an inducements scheme.
§ He intends also to consult the associations, and the main teachers' associations, on proposals for the re-introduction of specific arrangements for restraint on the recruitment 380W of teachers for better staffed areas: he regards this as a necessary corollary to the other measures metioned.
§ I am writing in similar terms to the Association of County Councils.
§ Copies of this letter are being sent to the main teachers' associations.
§ Yours faithfully,
§ (R. P. FRASER)
§ W. Borland, Esq., S.S.C.,
§ Hon. Clerk,
§ Scottish Counties of Cities Association,
§ City Chambers,
§ Edinburgh, 1.