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TEACHERS in Scotland have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action to tackle “excessive” workloads, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union said yesterday.
EIS members working in secondary schools backed industrial action by 95 per cent and will now take action short of a strike, which could result in a refusal to co-operate with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).
EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said the result “reflects the frustration of Scotland’s secondary teachers over the excessive assessment demands being placed on them and their pupils,” and hailed the “very clear mandate” to immediately “work-to-contract in relation to SQA activity.”
With 12,000 fewer teachers since 2010 and dwindling resources, Scotland’s schools desperately need investment to support diverse learners rather than empty promises from politicians, writes ANDREA BRADLEY
With 170,000 children living in poverty in north-east England and teachers leaving in droves over 20 per cent real-terms pay cuts since 2010, all while private companies siphon off billions, it is time to unite and fight for education, writes MATT WRACK