Overworked teachers urged to stage walkout

Unions talk of unbearable pressures in Scottish schools

- By Katrine Bussey

TEACHERS are being urged to vote for strike action to send a message to SNP ministers on "excessive" workloads.

Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS, launched a consultative ballot for industrial action during its AGM in Aviemore yesterday.

It threatens to bring further chaos to schools across the country and comes in the wake of a survey by the union which revealed more than two-fifths of teachers (44%) work an additional seven unpaid hours in a typical week.

The research found 11.5% of teachers work an extra 15 hours or more per week — the equivalent of two days.

EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said the ballot will highlight the “pressing need” to deliver on a commitment to cut the time teachers spend in the classroom.