North Ayrshire RE teacher is new teaching union president

A teacher in religious education has become the new president of Scotland’s only specialist union for teachers in secondary, the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA).

Euan Duncan, Principal Teacher of Pastoral Support at Kilwinning Academy in North Ayrshire was elected unopposed to the role.

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A former SSTA Vice President, Duncan represented the union at the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.

“The SSTA has a strong, effective team serving members throughout Scotland and I look forward to pursuing my work with that team,” he said.

His appointment comes at a time when education inequity has come to the forefront of political discourse. Yesterday Angela Constance told the Parliament chamber: “It is right that we debate our education system with frankness, with conviction and always with our children’s best interests at heart.”

Duncan says the immediate future will be a “stimulating time” for anyone involved in Education.  

“SSTA members continue to be concerned with deprivation and its impact on learning; there is no doubt that they want to carry on with their commitment to advancing education in Scotland. But with dwindling resources, and reserves depleted by the massive effort to bring about curricular and assessment changes, the big question will be how to sustain that advance. After all, teacher working conditions are pupil learning conditions,” he said.