Whenever this comes up, I imagine what English people would be saying if we’d lost the war and were being forced to speak German. I’m sure you wouldn’t just be shrugging your shoulders and saying ‘well everyone else speaks German, what’s the point in English?’

Slightly different. English is useful in other places of the world other than England. It is right that the language is kept alive but not at any cost.
It’s a funny old thing. The welsh language schools get massive funding in when compared with the english language ones. I’ve surveyed LOTS of them and the differences are, well pretty disgusting really. Yet when I did some work at the WAG buildings, I never once heard a word of Welsh spoken.

The reality is there are loads of primary teachers out there, (and PE secondary) they dont need to bend the rules for your wife. Just the way it is.

Oh and the GTCS is an extention of the Scottish Government. They are far removed from independant, if they were they would fight for teachers in a similar manner that the GMC does for doctors.

Boo hoo, poor you. Bleeting on about the injustice of a system not willing to change to accomodate your needs and trying to pass it off as institutional racism ain’t going to change the fact your wife doesn’t meet the requirements. Suck it up and do the extra work, it’s nothing to do with discrimination or chips on shoulders.

You should leave Scotland, the sooner the better.
*not sure if troll…*
However, we did not say it is racism, as my last post said, just institutionalised gatekeeping.
What are you qualified in? Can you imagine if your employer said that you were no longer qualified to do your job, that you had to take a pay cut, could not take on a permanent contract and re-do a years work in a new place.

The reality is there are loads of primary teachers out there, (and PE secondary) they dont need to bend the rules for your wife. Just the way it is.

Not in the schools I am daily working in, across Scotland.

Oh and the GTCS is an extention of the Scottish Government. They are far removed from independant, if they were they would fight for teachers in a similar manner that the GMC does for doctors.

Not according to Mike Russell, head of Education and Learning, who has distanced himself from GTCS.

Jambalaya- I’m English. I moved to Scotland for uni, the wife made me move back to England. We both think it’s shite now we’ve experienced the alternative and can’t wait to move back. I live in the Peak District now and find it difficult to motivate myself to ride because the trails are so much less exciting than those in the Highlands.

Matt- while rene59 hasn’t put it in particularly friendly terms, to an extent I reckon he’s sort of right. I’ve taught in a high school in Scotland and it is different to teaching in England- the whole system is different. I’d not expect a teacher trained in the English system to be able to transfer directly over without retraining. Whether starting at the bottom is the best way to do that or not is debatable, though, and I do feel for your situation. The unblinkered uncompromising view of government policies in situations like this is upsetting.

. I’d not expect a teacher trained in the English system to be able to transfer directly over without retraining.

So England/Wales need a similar scheme for Scottish teachers then?

I’d reckon so.

Matt – have you considered taking your qualifications to France and becoming a MTB guide? 😀

*not sure if troll…*
However, we did not say it is racism, as my last post said, just institutionalised gatekeeping.
What are you qualified in? Can you imagine if your employer said that you were no longer qualified to do your job, that you had to take a pay cut, could not take on a permanent contract and re-do a years work in a new place.

So I emailed our MSP Bruce Crawford this afternoon over an issue of my wife not being able to teach in Scotland as she qualified in England.
5 minutes later, he called and asked lots of questions and promised letters to some people for answers this week….

Stil does not solve the issue of institutionalised racism against English in Scotland.

As far as teaching profession is concerned Scotland and England are separate countries with different governing bodies, different set of rules and ways of doing things.

I am a compliance manager, qualified and chartered in h and s, environmental and quality management. My qualifications are equally valid in both Scotland and England and I work in both countries. I knew this to be case before I embarked on my chosen career.

I also knew that if I wanted to relocate to another country where my qualifications and experience were recognised, but do not meet that countries requirements, then I would have to do extra work bringing them up to the standard for that country. I would also expect that I may have to restart at a lower level and gain additional experience to do this.

What I wouldn’t do is relocate there then expect special treatment and rules to be changed to accommodate my circumstances.

rene, how would you feel if rules were introduced which meant you had to retrain (at your cost) to work in England, with a lower wage for a fairly long period?
All due to political protectionism.

I would rather change career and stay in Scotland than go to England and do what I’m used to. I spend almost every day now I’m back in England wishing I was in Scotland, it is superior in just about every way. Don’t do it Matt, you’ll only regret it.

What a load of bollox……just because you live in a shithole don’t tar the rest of our glorious land with the same brush!

It’s not retraining though it’s completing the standard for registration.

Out of teacher training you have to complete the standard to register with GTCS, why not from a different system?

It does seem excessively long and the pay cut is not right. Why not just accept that she has to meet the standard as does everyone who teaches in Scotland and wants to rgister with GTCS? It is a hoop but not discrminatory to expect everyone who wants to register to meet the same standards.

rene, how would you feel if rules were introduced which meant you had to retrain (at your cost) to work in England, with a lower wage for a fairly long period?

Rules don’t just change overnight without warning. Generally, rules (changes in regulations and legislation) are only introduced at set times of the year after a period of publication and discussion which allows those who would be affected by any change to adapt.

So I guess that when rules change, being a professional in that industry and keeping up with what’s going on I have had prior notice and time to make any changes I require to make.

FWIW – GTCS are changing the professional development/registration/accreditation system in 2014. My school is on board with a pilot this year.

Unfortunately for your situation the Scottish “system” as deemed separate from those in place in England and Wales and as a result constant professional updates are required to maintain status if qualified elsewhere. Depending on how long your wife has been out of the classroom, and how much CPD she has been allowed, she may have “missed the boat” on certain developments i.e. CfE. You may find that independant schools would allow her to gain enough time in class to allow her to meet the GTCS criteria for registration, so look at http://www.scis.org.uk/jobs as well as tess. Also try going directly to independants near where you live as many keep their own supply lists.

Our school is really hard up for supply teachers for one. Email me if you want contact info. Unfortunately the dealine for a couple of part time/maternity jobs has just passed.

There are very few supply teachers, but then who would do that job for £60 a day.

Every perminant ft primary post has more than enough applicants, some posts have well over 100 going for it. Its a numbers game.

As for Mike Russell, yes whatever :roll:.

I am a compliance manager, qualified and chartered in h and s, environmental and quality management. My qualifications are equally valid in both Scotland and England and I work in both countries. I knew this to be case before I embarked on my chosen career.

15 years ago when mrs_oab trained, the qualification WAS valid in Scotland. Heck, in 2009 it was valid. So maybe we should ‘cancel’ your qualification and make you move?

Rules don’t just change overnight without warning. Generally, rules (changes in regulations and legislation) are only introduced at set times of the year after a period of publication and discussion which allows those who would be affected by any change to adapt.

I do hope you are keeping up with changes in Spain, maybe Ireland, or USA, just in case you want to move there in future. I wonder how many English located teachers are aware of new GTCS standards this summer, and the 2009, 2011 and 2012 changes to standards?

Depending on how long your wife has been out of the classroom, and how much CPD she has been allowed, she may have “missed the boat” on certain developments i.e. CfE.

Indeed, hence why she spent 4 years volunteering, attending training as a volunteer, working as classroom asssistant and nursery nurse, reading and engaging with Scottish system. NONE of this counts, is not recorded or required. Just 270 days in the classroom, on an ad-hoc basis with no need to plan, prepare or mark work – just stand in a room for a few hours in a day with a class. GTCS do not even have a system to record the days, or what she has done – mrs_oab is photocopying her timesheets, but some do not even state what agegroup she has worked with (central to the issues she faces).

It does seem excessively long and the pay cut is not right.

This^, plus rigid in application, with no accepting that situations may need a flixible approach.

So I guess that when rules change, being a professional in that industry and keeping up with what’s going on I have had prior notice and time to make any changes I require to make.

Good job, because if Scotland gets independence there will be more barriers to employment put up from the other side of the fence/border. The rUK will want its own people employed before those of a different nation (as Scotland are doing now). Of that there is no doubt whatsoever.
My wife is a chartered H&S type. The HSE would no longer cover an independent Scotland and are well known for doing whatever they fell like on any given day.

matt_outandabout – Member

Indeed, hence why she spent 4 years volunteering, attending training as a volunteer, working as classroom asssistant and nursery nurse, reading and engaging with Scottish system. NONE of this counts, is not recorded or required

Genuine question- did she know this 4 years ago? Did she discuss it with the GTCS then? Or have the rules changed?

The GTCS webpage suggest all this (currently!) as things you should do. No she was not tol the voluntary was ignored in 2009.
.
We just had another email, backing down on the 135 days with older kids. Thier mistake, the rules have changed so often that they cannot keep up with what rules to apply to whom. 🙄

matt_outandabout – Member

The GTCS webpage suggest all this (currently!) as things you should do. No she was not tol the voluntary was ignored in 2009.

That is incredibly shit. I suppose it could be useful from a personal point of view but recommending she does it then ignoring their own recommendation is proper bottom of the barrel.

http://www.gtcs.org.uk/registration/returning-to-teaching.aspx

15 years ago when mrs_oab trained, the qualification WAS valid in Scotland. Heck, in 2009 it was valid. So maybe we should ‘cancel’ your qualification and make you move?

Maybe if I took time out of my profession, relocated, then wanted to get back into it, then yes maybe my original qualification would have been ‘cancelled’ in the previous 4 years since I last checked.

I do hope you are keeping up with changes in Spain, maybe Ireland, or USA, just in case you want to move there in future. I wonder how many English located teachers are aware of new GTCS standards this summer, and the 2009, 2011 and 2012 changes to standards?

No, because I don’t work in those places, so no need to keep up with their changes. If I planned to move to one of those countries in the future, and resume my career there, then yes, why wouldn’t I keep up with changes?

Good job, because if Scotland gets independence there will be more barriers to employment put up from the other side of the fence/border. The rUK will want its own people employed before those of a different nation (as Scotland are doing now). Of that there is no doubt whatsoever.

And that may well happen, however I will see the changes coming and if I want to continue working in England then I will adapt and aim to meet the new criteria. Just as I would expect that if different systems were introduced cross border, it would work both ways.

Maybe if I took time out of my profession, relocated, then wanted to get back into it, then yes maybe my original qualification would have been ‘cancelled’ in the previous 4 years since I last checked.

We called GTCS in February 2009. Verbally we were both told that both our teaching qualifications stood. No mention of changes in the pipeline. We moved in April 2009, applied to GTCS, and missed the changes by a matter of weeks. I (had) Full Registration awarded, mrs_oab did not.
.
I struggle to see the future, and where jobs may arise. We took a job for me in Scotland, in part because we ‘knew’ from speaking to GTCS that mrs_oab could teach. Oh, hang on, she can, but only as supply, on less money…

Bollox to em matt
Come and live in Wales

As an engineer qualified in Scotland and working in Yorkshire for 20 years I have some sympathy.

The educational systems are different, but the content is pretty similar.

They are far removed from independant, if they were they would fight for teachers in a similar manner that the GMC does for doctors.

I think you’re confusing the professional regulator (GMC) with the trade union (BMA).

as an aside FC wales were advertising for a recreational ranger a few months ago, and one criteria was conversational welsh or willingness to learn and demonstrate ability within 1 year of taking the post. this was in a role based in the HQ in the next valley over from afan ( IIRC ), so not the back of beyond, by any means.
sorry to hear of your problems OP. hope you get sorted.