Creation of Dundee school faculties have put Scotland’s largest teaching union at loggerheads with the city council.
Dundee City Council says the change in secondary schools will improve teaching and learning for pupils by creating enhanced leadership.
The Educational Institute of Scotland instead says it will mean the loss of principal teaching posts and valuable experience departments and increase staff workloads, impacting on pupils.
But what is happening and how will schools change under the model?
Here we explain the new set-up coming to city secondary schools.
Dundee school faculties
Instead of each subject having its own principal teacher, ‘families’ of subjects will be created, each with a curriculum head.
For example, a Dundee school could have the following faculties:
- English and Literacy
- Languages
- Maths and Numeracy
- Sciences
- Technologies
- Expressive Arts
- Social Studies
- Health and Wellbeing
Biology, chemistry and physics might be grouped together as sciences and health and wellbeing could include home economics, physical education (PE) and personal and social education (PSE).
How will the changes be implemented?
Secondary schools will move to the new faculties in phases, the first stage testing the change and regular reviews conducted with head teachers.
The shift to Dundee school faculties was agreed by councillors three years ago but delayed by the pandemic.
The council says trade unions have already been involved in discussions and it is willing to continue talks with them.
