Equality Motions

Motions

Resolutions

16. Council

That this AGM notes the value of the Our Voices in Union Leadership learning project in developing the equality related leadership learning and empowerment of members who are underrepresented in education and trade union leadership - Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, under 30, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender, disabled or neurodivergent members.

This AGM therefore calls on Council to continue the work to build leadership capacity and engagement of the EIS Equality Networks by facilitating the Our Voices in Union project into a second phase, including a new cohort of participants.

Amendment Edinburgh Local Association

Amend “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender" to read "LGBT+".

Carried

17. Council

That this AGM notes the finding from the EIS 2023 Branch Survey on Violence and Aggression that almost 40% of branches had seen an increase in prejudice-based violence, and over half reporting that boys were more likely to exhibit ‘violent and aggressive’ behaviour towards women staff. As part of the ongoing work to utilise the equality agenda to counter the influence and spread of far-right ideologies in education and society, this AGM therefore calls on Council to:

• Consider avenues for further collaboration with external partners on resources to support EIS members in tackling far-right misinformation and disinformation
• Develop a teaching resource on tackling misogynistic attitudes and behaviours in children and young people.

Carried

18. North Ayrshire Local Association

That this AGM welcomes the publication of the GTCS equality survey of provisionally registered teachers. AGM notes that this survey found that teachers registered as flexible route probationers were significantly more diverse than those on the Teacher Induction Scheme and were nearly four times as likely to be BAME.

AGM resolves to investigate and report on the impact of this differential on progress in improving the diversity of the teaching profession in Scotland.

Carried

19. Council

That this AGM notes the existing EIS resource on ‘Challenging anti-Muslim Prejudice’, which was published in 2018. This AGM calls on the Council toreview the resource, and investigate other relevant material on religious prejudice, with a view to updating the EIS offer as appropriate.

Carried

20. Council

That this AGM believes that the educational needs of deaf children and young people in schools, regardless of geographical location, should be fully met by education authorities and barriers to access and engagement in the curriculum removed.

This AGM, therefore, calls upon Council to engage with the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure:

• that sufficient specialist teachers of the deaf are employed to meets the needs of these pupils; and
• that the education of each deaf pupil, who requires it, is supported by a dedicated fully qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

Carried

21. Inverclyde Local Association

That this AGM calls on Council to investigate and report on Local Authority recruitment policies and procedures that specify reasonable adjustments for applicants who are neurodiverse. 

The investigation should consider and report on the lived experience and needs of neurodiverse members and, where inclusive practice is identified, Council will campaign for the inclusion of those practices in all Local Authority recruitment policies.

Amendment Edinburgh Local Association

Amend “Local Authority’’ to “Local Authority and College”.

Carried

22. EIS FELA & Edinburgh Local Association

That this AGM instruct Council to investigate the potential for a system of Reasonable Adjustment Passports, which record agreed reasonable adjustments for an individual, the document being owned by the individual, to be used, on a voluntary basis, for all staff teaching in Schools and Colleges. That investigation should include engagement with SNCT to investigate the feasibility of developing a standard template for the Passports that could be used across local authorities.

Carried

23. Orkney Local Association

That this AGM instructs Council to improve support for disabled and neurodiverse teachers and lecturers by asking EIS to review and update its publication "Reasonable Adjustments in the Workplace: Guidance for EIS Members & Representatives".

Carried

24. North Lanarkshire Local Association

That this AGM calls on Council to investigate potential barriers to the full participation in Council, Committees of Council, Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings of the Institute of members with disabilities defined within the Equality Act (2010).

This report should:

1. Suggest any reasonable adjustments which could be implemented;
2. Make recommendations of changes to Rules and Regulations and Standing Orders which are necessary to remove any identified barriers, implement reasonable adjustments and ensure an inclusive environment for all meeting participants, and;
3. Be presented in time for the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Institute in pursuit of the objective of full inclusivity for disabled members.

Carried