Virtually every state Secondary school in Scotland closed yesterday teachers continue to strike in pursuit of a fair pay settlement.
Following Tueday’s highly successful strike in the primary sector, Secondary teachers and associated professionals turned out in huge numbers on picket lines and at demonstrations and rallies right across Scotland.
Amongst the demonstrations yesterday was a rally of teachers outside Bute House in Edinburgh, the official residence of the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
Commenting on Wednesday’s strike action, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said: “Following Tuesday’s show of strength from primary teachers, today it is Scotland’s secondary teachers and associated professionals who are on strike and demanding that the Scottish Government and COSLA pay attention.
“Teachers really do not want to be out in the streets – in the cold, wind and rain – to seek a fair pay increase, but have been forced into this position by the inaction of the Scottish Government and COSLA on teacher pay.
“After dragging the negotiating process out for the best part of a year, the Scottish Government and COSLA only have themselves to blame for the situation we find ourselves in today.”
Ms Bradley added, “For six months, we have seen little or no progress in negotiations, with the Scottish Government and COSLA only reheating an old, already rejected offer, and attempting to sell it to teachers as new, fresh and appealing.
“Scotland’s teachers haven’t been fooled by the spin, and are now taking the only option that remains – the withdrawal of their labour – to seek a better, fairer offer on pay.
“It is only within the last week, with the second round of strike action looming, that we have seen some small signs that the Scottish Government and COSLA are prepared to work towards making an improved offer.
“Should a new, improved and credible, offer arrive in sufficient time, this will be considered by the EIS and our sister teacher unions in the hope that further strike action, scheduled to commence next week for 16 consecutive days, may yet be avoided.”
The national day of strike action over pay will be the first such action in Scotland’s schools for four decades – a clear indication of the current level of anger and frustration amongst teachers.
Following the announcement of the ballot result at lunchtime yesterday, the EIS Executive Committee held a special meeting and agreed an initial day of national strike action two weeks from today. Further industrial action dates will be agreed at a normal meeting of EIS Executive tomorrow.
EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “The EIS will be calling its members in all of Scotland’s schools out on strike action on Thursday 24 November, in the first day of national strike action on pay for almost forty years.
“We hoped not to get to this point and have given local authorities and the Scottish Government ample time to come up with a fair pay offer. But, with a pay-rise for teachers now more than seven months late, and with the last pay offer having been rejected by teachers almost three months ago, the blame for this move to strike action sits squarely with COSLA and the Scottish Government.
“They have sat on their hands for far too long, dithering and delaying while the soaring cost of living continues to erode the value of their pitiful offers to Scotland’s teachers.”
Ms Bradley added, “Teachers do not take strike action lightly, but have voted to do so in light of the continuing steep real-terms decline in their pay. Politicians who have lauded the invaluable work of teachers throughout the pandemic and during the ongoing period of recovery are now offering teachers a deep real-terms pay cut.
“This will never be acceptable to Scotland’s teachers or to the EIS, and that is why Scotland’s teachers will be taking strike action two weeks from today.”
Information on further strike action dates will be issued in due course.
Key national agencies Education Scotland (ES) and the SQA will be reformed as part of ambitious plans for Scotland’s education recovery, Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has announced.
The Education Secretary said the role, remit and purpose of both organisations will be considered, as well as their functions and governance arrangements.
Ms Somerville announced the reforms as she outlined wide-ranging plans for education recovery in the first 100 days of government and beyond.
These include:
investing over £1 billion to close the poverty related attainment gap
recruiting 3,500 additional teachers and classroom assistants
ensuring every schoolchild has access to the technology they need to support their education
making free school lunches available to all P4 children before extending to all primary school children, all year round
expanding free early learning and childcare and developing the provision of wraparound care and after-school clubs
increasing the school clothing grant and the Best Start Food grant
providing interim support – including a £100 payment near the start of the summer holidays – for eligible children before the formal expansion of the Scottish Child Payment next year
offering a £20 million Summer Programme to help restore the wellbeing of children and young people, particularly those worst hit by COVID-19
removing charges for core curriculum activities and music and arts education
working with colleges and universities to ensure they remain sustainable and at the forefront of global education and research.
Laying out the Scottish Government’s visions and ambitions for education, the Education Secretary said the priority was to continue to deliver excellence and equity, despite the pandemic, with the health and wellbeing of pupils at the forefront of the plans.
This next phase of recovery activity builds on almost £400 million of investment committed in this area to date.
Ms Somerville said: “I hope this programme outlines our determination to deliver improvements with pace and urgency. I am open to considering what further reform is necessary, with the clear purpose of doing all we can to improve outcomes for children. This includes reducing variability in the outcomes children and young people achieve across the country.
“I want to look at options for reform which ensure that schools get the best possible support and challenge to enable them to improve further and to do the very best for the children in their care; to enable them to focus relentlessly on providing the highest quality of learning and teaching for our children, and to ensure that those working in education outwith schools are fully focused on doing everything they can to provide the highest quality of support.
“I want to signal my intention to start this process by considering how to reform the SQA and Education Scotland. This will be a key priority for me.”
Ms Somerville said the reform plans would be informed by the findings of the OECD review into Curriculum for Excellence, which is due to be published on 21 June.
The EIS has welcomed the review. EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “We have for some time been arguing for reform of the SQA and, in particular, the need for a stronger governance model which would see the qualifications authority more accountable to the Education system and the profession, rather than to the Scottish Government or an opaque, Government appointed, Board.
“Our members have often found the SQA to be too remote from classroom practice and a significant generator of additional workload for teachers. Reform of the qualifications body should be matched by changes to the senior phase, which focus on creating time for deeper learning, breadth of study and parity between ‘academic’ and vocational’ qualifications.”
Mr Flanagan added, “With regard to Education Scotland the key issue is to create more independence for this body and move it closer to its role of supporting schools and teachers rather than being under the direction of the Scottish Government.
“Education Scotland should be free to challenge Government rather than being an extension of the civil service. There also needs to be a significant review of the usefulness of the current inspection process in what is meant to be an empowered education system.”
Teachers’ Union the NASUWT is deeply concerned following the release of the COVID-19 Statistical Report by Public Health Scotland showing a significant increase in the percentage of secondary age children testing positive for Coronavirus in September.
The percentage of young people testing positive for coronavirus is of great concern to the NASUWT, particularly among the 12-17 age group, and could potentially increase the risk to teachers, education staff and the wider community unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.
Additionally, since the end of September there is evidence of increased percentage of patients testing positive among the primary school age group.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach has called on Deputy First Minister John Swinney to urgently review the situation and identify what further measures can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by the increases seen in the data.
Dr Roach said: “Schools should remain open as long as they remain safe. But it is clear the spike in the Covid-19 transmission rate in certain secondary school children age groups, and also primary school age groups, coupled with the rise in transmission in the community, could potentially increase the risk to teachers and other education staff unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.
“At a time of significantly increased risk of virus transmission within the wider population, the data on the number of cases and testing among children strongly indicates a deeply concerning trend within the secondary school age population.
“The sharp upward trend in the data is a major concern for our members and secondary schools increasingly appear to be high-risk environments for coronavirus.
“This situation urgently requires attention by the Government and further mitigating measures need to be identified and implemented.”
