Commenting on the announcement of a new ministerial team in the Scottish Government, Mike Corbett, NASUWT National Official for Scotland, said:
“NASUWT welcomes the return of First Minister John Swinney and wishes to record its congratulations to former Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills, Jenny Gilruth, on her new role as Deputy First Minister.
‘We also look forward to working with the new Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic, Mairi McAllan. 
“She has experience of a range of Ministerial posts and this, alongside her promotion of social justice and equalities in her pre-Parliament career, will be helpful. NASUWT stands ready to work with her and the government, providing essential guidance and expertise on all matters related to education in Scotland.

“We face many challenges when it comes to education in Scotland: a crisis in Additional Support Needs provision; a failure to properly implement the National Action Plan on Relationships & Behaviour, meaning abuse and violence continue at unacceptable rates in Scotland’s schools; excessive teacher workload which needs addressed long before the distant promise of reduced Class Contact Time; resultant issues with the recruitment and retention of teachers and in associated workforce planning; and a piecemeal approach to wider Education Reform. We need a fresh and honest approach and pro-active leadership to deal with these and many other pressing issues.
“If the government is willing to listen to teachers and fund the education system properly to succeed, we can deliver the world class education approach that our country deserves.”