Teachers could walk out over workload row

Renfrewshire teachers could walk out of the classroom later this year as they demand action on "crippling workloads".

- EDEL KENEALY

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) says it will ballot its members on potential strike action in the coming weeks.

The trade union - which represents the vast majority of teachers in Renfrewshire's 62 schools - said the ballot is the result of the combined failure of the Scottish Government and local authorities to reduce teachers' workload.

They are demanding teachers' maximum class contact time is reduced to 21 hours to allow them to complete other tasks such as marking, lesson planning and assessing children's progress.

The EIS agreed to escalate the dispute at a meeting of its executive committee.