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Teaching Experience: 5-8 years

Contract Type: Permanent Supply

I did my probation in SLC and then worked in the same school for 3 years on a Permanent Area Cover contract. I then left to teach in another country for a year and returned to SLC in October 2021.

I was given a fixed term contract until June 2022.Following the interviews, where I was told I had been successful, I was given another fixed term contract for August 2022 to June 2023.Following those interviews I was given another fixed term contract that was to start on 1st September 2023, so cutting my continuous service by exactly 2 weeks.

They actually got the contract start/end days wrong twice and sent me 3 different contracts. They knew that in October I would have worked for 2 years continuous and so were trying to prevent me from applying for permanency.

Having done my interview in March, it took them until the end of June to tell me this. In any other industry/profession that wait would be unacceptable.I had already met my class, as I had been requested back to the same school, and so my class would have to be covered for those 2 weeks. I spoke to the union and they told me to try and get even 1 or 2 days supply, even though it’s impossible to get any supply in the first few weeks.

They then told me I could lodge a grievance and that the council do this regularly to prevent permanent contracts. I was ready to lodge the grievance but the union told me I had to wait until the school term started, so lodging a grievance but doing it on the council’s terms. I contacted the council on numerous occasions to ask why my start date was later to no reply.

I contacted my msp and mp, to which I got no reply. I asked for a FOI to which I was told the questions I asked were too expensive for them to answer.I spent the entire summer emailing the council, asking for different contacts and got no reply until 6 days before the start of term. They emailed me to say that they were changing my start date to the first day of term so in the end my continuous service was not affected.I do see myself as one of the lucky ones as I now have Permanent Area Cover thanks to my continuous service. However, the treatment of employees is disgusting and I spent the entire summer stressed out about it. Something I know many others have to deal with each summer.

They do not care about the wellbeing of their employees and they certainly do not have the children’s best interests with their actions.I completed my probation in 2018 and still hope that every year I will be given a permanent school.

The council have no idea the stress people are under, having to do the same interview year in, year out. Being told that you’ve been successful but there are no jobs is soul destroying.