15 November 2018

The Supply Teacher Working Group

UCAC has attended a series of meetings which has given consideration to the pay and conditions of supply teachers.

In those meetings we have been working to ensure fairness for supply teachers by highlighting low salaries, the undermining of conditions of service and the lack of professional development opportunities.

UCAC’s General Secretary Dilwyn Roberts-Young attended the latest meeting on Thursday, 15^th of November where a number of issues were raised.

The devolution of pay and conditions will eventually provide a golden opportunity for supply teachers to access professional development. 

The National Approach to Professional Learning (NAPL) is an investment in response to the changes facing the education system over the coming years. We will need to look at the impact the additional monies will have on schools employing supply teachers.

Over the coming days UCAC will be highlighting the circumstances of supply teachers in the Fair Work Commission consultation and raising concerns we have when supply teachers face allegations whilst working for agencies.

UCAC is committed to campaigning to ensure that supply teachers are treated with equity and respect as valued members of the education workforce.

For further information contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01970 639950

15 November 2018

Teachers Working Longer Review: Final Report

In the Autumn of 2014 a report was commissioned ‘into the possible health and deployment implications for teachers working longer as a result of the increase in normal pension age’.

Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru (UCAC) has fully engaged in the discussion which has led to the publication of the report. This report can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-working-longer-review-final-report

The final report, published on the 5th of November, includes a number of recommendations which deserve careful consideration. They include

• the need for  greater recognition and celebration of older teachers as an important part of the teaching workforce;
• consistent and effective support for teachers’ physical, mental and emotional health and well-being throughout their career;
• more support in managing an age diverse workforce and getting the best out of older teachers;
• promotion and implementation of flexible working across all schools to support a more inclusive age-diverse culture.

The report also recommends that the group continues to meet acknowledging that changing the culture within the education system is the challenge facing government, employers, employees and trade unions. At a time when financial constraints are undermining the profession and having an adverse impact on health and well being, there needs to be considerable investment in order to allow schools to support diversity.

This is the challenge for the years ahead and the report is a useful foundation for the discussions needed.

For further information contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 01970 639950

14 November 2018

Teachers' Pensions Scheme

The majority of our members will also be members of the Teachers' Pensions scheme.

By now a number of those members will have registered with the My Pensions Online area of the scheme’s website with a significant increase in registered members over the past twelve months - over 15,000 members a month.

During the year our officials meet with Capita, which is responsible for administrating the Scheme, to consider the efectiveness of the service and the terms and conditions of the service.

The General Secretary, Dilwyn Roberts-Young, attended meetings on Monday, November 12th to consider how the Scheme engages with its members.

An interesting message from the meetings was the need for members to look at their Teachers' Pensions 'account' in the same way as they look at their bank accounts.

The My Pensions Online website receives over forty million visits a year with over two million visits to the section on benefit statements.

At times, members of the Scheme will contact their employers or union to make enquiries about their pensions. It must be emphasised that the figures available to members on the My Pensions Online is current and correct.

UCAC encourages its members to register with the My Pension Online and to check that the information about them is current and correct. The Scheme is your money administrated by Capita and you need to make sure that every day of your service is documented.

Part of the feedback we have in preparing for the meetings are the queries from members. With regards to communication a number have raised concerns about the lack of Welsh language provision. It's important to note that every form from Capita is available in the Welsh language. In order to show the demand for a Welsh language service - make sure you demand your right to Welsh language provision.

If you have any queries regarding your pension contact your field officer and in order to ensure that the information is current register with the Teachers' Pensions website.

12 November 2018

Investment in Professional Learning critical to success of reforms

In response to today’s statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, UCAC education union has said that professional learning for the education workforce is critical to the success of the reforms to the curriculum and the Additional Learning Needs system.

Dilwyn Roberts-Young, UCAC General Secretary said: “The scale of change to our education system over the next few years is mind-boggling. To imagine that such change can be achieved without a very substantial investment in professional learning would be foolish in the extreme.

“UCAC is pleased therefore that the Cabinet Secretary has announced specific funding to support the scale of professional learning that that is required, with an emphasis on a range of methods, flexibility and teacher wellbeing.

“We agree with her that the requisite level and quality of professional learning should be secured whilst guarding, on the one hand, against disruption to pupils’ education, and on the other against unreasonable demands on the workforce. Investment is essential in order to find the time and resources necessary for such a large-scale operation.

“We look forward to seeing the detail of the proposals in relation to the various options and models available, and hope that this will indeed lead to the long-term ‘wholesale reform of how teachers learn’ that the Cabinet Secretary – and the profession - wishes to see.”

ENDS

Notes

• UCAC is Wales’s own education union. It represents teachers, headteachers and lecturers in all education sectors across Wales.

For further information please contact:

Rebecca Williams: 07787 572180 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

17 October 2018

Teachers’ Salary 2018-2019

Our Teachers’ Salary 2018-2019 booklet is now on the website.

https://www.ucac.cymru/images/taflenni_gwybodaeth/Cyflogau%20Athrawon%202018-19.pdf