Paid sabbaticals for Welsh teachers proposed

All teachers in Wales should have one year off out of every seven on full pay, as part of continuing professional development, union leaders said yesterday.

The National Union of Teachers Cymru (Wales) said that the option of a sabbatical year every seven years would allow the 36,000 teachers in maintained schools to share experience, study, and bring best practice to classrooms.

Business people and independent schools last night warned the scheme would cost millions of pounds and may be perceived as “greedy,” despite conceding it could be beneficial. But union secretary David Evans said, “Continuing professional development should be seen as a right not a privilege.” Read more about the idea at icWales.co.uk.