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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.”
The new Employment Rights Act is a step forward, but restoring collective bargaining and union power remains essential to tackling insecurity, outsourcing and low pay, says PAUL WHITEHOUSE
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
