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Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville
SCOTLAND’S new Education Secretary has claimed she wants progress in cutting the amount of time teachers spend in the classroom “as soon as possible” as members of Scotland’s largest teaching union backed calls for a strike ballot.
SNP minister Shirley-Anne Somerville told the Educational Institute of Scotland’s (EIS) annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday that her party’s promises to reduce the amount of time teachers spend with youngsters by 90 minutes a week would reduce stress for workers and create 2,000 new jobs.
On Thursday EIS members backed calls for a strike ballot if a deal is not reached in the next 15 months to cut both class sizes and teachers’ class contact time.
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
The devastating impact of austerity has left Scotland’s education system on its knees, argues ANDREA BRADLEY, urging politicians to show courage by increasing wealth taxation to fund our schools properly