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Message from the General Secretary
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Colleagues
What a year this has been for EIS members and our union!
Across all sectors, we have fought for decent pay rises for our members, and to protect jobs and pensions - running ballot after ballot and taking strike action where we've had to.
Colleagues in FE and HE, and at Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow are still fighting for what's right for our members and they have the full solidarity of the Union as they do so.
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The summer holidays are upon us or are certainly within touching distance. I hope that you have a good, restful break with plenty of time to switch off, spend time with friends and family, and restore yourselves after another tough academic year.
EIS staff will be working behind the scenes over the summer break to ensure that our campaigning across all sectors continues, and that members can take an active part in the endeavour to win better for Scotland's teachers and lecturers, and for Scotland's learners, as soon as they return refreshed and reinvigorated from the summer break.
For now, happy holidays, everyone!
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Stand up for Quality Education
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The EIS has launched a new campaign, Stand up for Quality Education.
The aim of the campaign is to significantly improve teachers' working conditions, and health, safety and wellbeing at work and by so doing, the quality of learning experiences for learners.
Focussing on 3 key priority areas the campaign will call for:
- A significant reduction in teacher workload
- An increase in funding and support for pupils with additional support needs
- Build the skills, resources and school culture to address distressed, violent and aggressive pupil behaviour
The first set of campaign resources has been sent out to schools this week so that branches can get straight into the campaign on their return from the summer break, doing their bit to stand up for quality education in Scotland.
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Members' Survey – "Abuse Directed at Teachers"
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Little is known about 'Abuse Directed at Teachers' (ADT) throughout Scotland. You are invited to take part in a survey to examine ADT, sponsored by the University of Edinburgh and doctoral researcher April Steffeck.
Gathering and analysing data about teachers' experience of ADT will provide the opportunity to better understand what is taking place in schools, with the potential to support teachers through education and training.
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Abuse Directed at Teachers comes in many forms, it is defined as:
aggressive behaviour towards a practising teacher by students or the legal guardians of students that is deliberate and aimed to harm either physically, emotionally, socially and/or professionally, including obscene gestures and remarks, intimidation, or physical assault which can be perpetrated in person, or in a cyber environment such as emails and social media.
This external survey will be open until the end of August and we urge all members to complete it to create an accurate and national picture of teachers’ experiences. The EIS has collaborated with this research project and will have access to aggregated data to support the ‘Pupil Behaviour’ theme of the ‘Stand Up for Quality Education” campaign.
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The EIS has previously agreed, through the SNCT, that all teacher trade union branches should be given time to hold meetings during the first two days of "in-service training" that start the school year.
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We suggest a branch meeting agenda as set out below:
- Welcome
- The "Stand Up for Quality Education" Campaign – a brief overview and discussion.
- Discussion of the recommended branch survey on pupil behaviour at the school. The online link to this survey will be shared in mid-August.
- Updated EIS Advice on Violent and Disruptive Pupil Behaviour.
- Any Other Business
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Negotiations on school Working Time Agreements are ongoing or may well have been completed. The best agreements are delivered when all those who participate are up to speed and prepared. It should also be borne in mind that it is not a document to be agreed and then forgotten.
A change to workload means a renegotiation. Remember if something new goes in, something else must come out.
Contact your Local Association Secretary to find out what support is available. If you would like your local EIS Organiser to attend a school branch meeting, then please contact them directly.
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Following derisory pay offers and college employers' refusal to increase this offer members of the EIS-FELA, across all 26 of Scotland's Further Education colleges, began action short of strike (ASOS) on Tuesday 2 May 2023. This action is still live and continues.
A fair pay rise for college lecturers forms one of six key demands we have of college leaders and the Scottish Government. ASOS will take the form of a 'work to rule' and a resulting boycott. Further information is available on our website.
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City of Glasgow College Industrial Action
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EIS-FELA representatives of City of Glasgow College were informed by senior management in May that the college workforce would be reduced by up to 100 using compulsory redundancies. The majority of these are teaching posts which will mean that by the end of the academic year up to 100 lecturers will lose their jobs.
Cuts have also been made to teaching time which means an increase in lecturers' workload and more cuts to teaching time are planned for the next academic year.
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The College has also lost nearly all Learning Support Lecturers who provide valuable expertise to support students with additional learning support needs. EIS-FELA believe this has transpired due to a failing in governance of the FE sector allowing financial mismanagement through the allocation of resources to attract private income streams and keep senior management teams in post.
City of Glasgow College branch has now escalated their industrial action to indefinite strike action.
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As you will be aware, our FELA colleagues at City of Glasgow College have been taking strike action for up to 4 days a week in a campaign to prevent a large number of redundancies across the College. By the end of June, it is planned that lecturing staff at the college will have taken 20 days of strike action.
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Strike action to save jobs will also be taken by lecturers at Edinburgh College next week.
This action may need to continue after the summer break, as it will at Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow.
As local disputes, the EIS has made strike pay available to those members participating in the action, starting at 50% in the earliest phases of the action, with some increases having been applied in recent weeks. All members taking strike action in these disputes have lost income and many are suffering hardship.
If any individual or Local Association would like to make a solidarity donation towards the cost of strike pay for EIS FELA members, they should make the payment to this designated EIS bank account:
Sort code: 60-83-01
Account no: 20315704
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We support and train members to become school-based EIS Representatives, this includes Health and Safety and Equality Reps.
The EIS works with the TUC to deliver accredited Reps' training. If you are a member who has an interest in becoming a Rep, want to learn more, or have recently taken over as a new Rep then please explore our courses on our website.
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EIS Learning Reps – 2023 Course Expressions of Interest
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Is your Local Association or college branch in need of a Learning Rep? Do you have newly engaged activists eager to take up a role which supports members locally and nationally?
EIS Learning Reps work with members locally to support them on professional learning issues, ensure access to high quality training opportunities, and take forward the professional learning agenda in the workplace.
For more information about the Learning Reps course, and to register a member's interest in the forthcoming 2023 Learning reps course, see How to become a Learning Rep on the EIS website, or contact rhenthorn@eis.org.uk for more information.
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If you are in a school that does not currently have an EIS Rep, it is even more important that you are as up to date as possible with everything that is going on. With the launch of our new national campaign "Stand Up for Quality Education" we need to be more organised than ever. Get a date in the diary with your Organiser for after the summer holidays. Contact your local Organiser and/or Local Association Secretary to arrange a catchup meeting.
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The EIS has produced a new booklet for members on the power of LGBT Inclusive Education, which is now a national requirement for all schools in Scotland. Please share this guidance with all members in schools and colleges, and let's play our part by helping to create safe, supportive, and inclusive educational settings, which allow everyone to thrive.
We are aware that members may be contacted by groups who do not share the EIS's values of an education system founded on social justice, and some might be unsure what the expectations are in relation to implementing LGBT Inclusive Education and how we 'get it right' for children and young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
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The EIS will be offering CLPL for members on LGBT Inclusive Education, soon.
In the meantime, visit the EIS website for updated versions of some of our existing guidance:
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Anti-racism Creative Showcase for Schools
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The EIS is funding this year's Anti-racism Creative Showcase for Schools, run by Show Racism the Red Card. The showcase is a great way to engage learners in an anti-racist curriculum, and have their work exhibited in an online gallery. All entries accepted from 18th August until 13th October 2023.
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Cornmarket Insurance Services are a sister company of EIS Financial Services.
They are running a competition for EIS members, with the chance to win one of three Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatches. Find out more on their website.
Cornmarket have been looking after the insurance needs of educational professionals for over 30 years, are rated EXCELLENT on Trustpilot and will search their panel of top UK insurers to find the policy that best meets your needs.
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To unsubscribe email membership@eis.org.uk with the subject line unsubscribe from member bulletin.
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