'Crippling' workload of teachers in Scottish schools must be reduced, union warns

The EIS (Educational Institute of Scotland) issued the further caution to the government as it ballots members on potential strike action linked to what it says is a failure to cut class contact time, as promised in the 2021 SNP manifesto.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth set out proposals for reduced contact time in November to provide teachers with more time to prepare for lessons, support wider school improvement activities and undertake professional learning.

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Teachers could be offered a four-day teaching week under the proposals, with later start times and longer breaks also under consideration. A 7.5 per cent pay rise for teachers has recently been agreed.

However, with the issues of classroom time unresolved, the ballot for strike action is due to run to January 14.

EIS said its members hoped the Government will have reached an “epiphany” over the issue in reference to the Christian feast to mark the end of the festive period on January 6.

The union’s general secretary, Andrea Bradley, said: “Epiphany is a time that is associated with the giving of gifts.

“The only gifts that Scotland’s teachers want to see this year (are) the same ones that they have been promised for the past five years: action to reduce their crippling, unfair, unhealthy and unsustainable levels of workload by the permanent employment of the additional teachers that were promised and a concrete plan for the delivery of the reduction in teachers’ class contact time that was promised.

“Scotland’s schools, Scotland’s teachers, Scotland’s young people and the Scottish electorate, as a whole, expect and deserve the promises made to Scottish education to be delivered.”

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She added: “Scotland’s teachers have waited five long years, overburdened by continuing excessive workload, for the Scottish Government and their local authority partners to make good on those promises.

“The current statutory industrial action ballot, and the prospect of imminent industrial action in our schools, are direct results of the inaction on the part of the Scottish Government and Cosla on teacher workload.”

A spokeswoman for Cosla said that reducing class contact time could cost up to £310m and was a “highly complex” issue

She added: “Reduced class contact time is highly complex and possible routes forward are being actively explored with the Scottish Government, and will be discussed in the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).

“Reduced class contact time has an estimated cost of £250 million to £310 million. This represents a significant investment, equivalent to the cost of over 7,500 pupil support assistants.

“Cosla is clear that this policy must be fully funded by the Scottish Government.

“Cosla is clear that we must consider the impact of this investment on the attainment of our children and young people through consultation, in line with United Nations Convention on Rights of a Child (UNCRC) and our commitment to addressing child poverty.”

While teachers have recently been awarded a 7.5 per cent pay rise, Ms Gilruth is being pushed to honour an SNP manifesto pledge to reduce the time teachers spend with pupils by 90 minutes a week.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government recently set out proposals to deliver reduced class contact time for Scotland’s teachers, which would provide more time to prepare for lessons, support wider school improvement activities, and undertake professional learning.

“We are committed to working with teaching unions and COSLA to agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time which is key to reducing teacher workload and improving educational outcomes for Scotland’s children and young people.

“Since 2014, teacher numbers have increased by more than 2,700 thanks to Scottish Government investment, including a rise in 2025. This means Scotland continues to have the lowest pupil-teacher ratio and the best paid teachers in the UK.”