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.