Created on: 13 Jun 2025
Following declaration of a formal dispute on 7th February 2025, significant concerns were expressed by the SNCT Teachers’ Panel regarding the establishment of a joint COSLA/Scottish Government working group, to progress the reduction of weekly class contact time to 21 hours. These concerns were expressed in subsequent SNCT meetings, as well as in letters to both the Cabinet Secretary for Education and First Minister.
The Scottish Government and COSLA refused to include representatives from the SNCT Teachers’ Panel in the joint working group but eventually agreed to report on the ongoing work to an SNCT subgroup.
Despite the joint COSLA/Scottish Government working group having met regularly over several months, the SNCT subgroup only held its first meeting yesterday, Thursday 12th June 2025.
Despite the terms of the SNCT dispute and the commencement of the EIS consultative ballot on workload, at no point in yesterday’s meeting did either COSLA or the Scottish Government reference workload reduction.
Since the commitment to reduce weekly class contact time to 21 hours was made in 2021, the EIS has been absolutely clear that the full reduction must be allocated to increase protected “preparation and correction” time to a minimum of 9 hours per week.
Evidence has shown that the many hours teachers in Scotland spend working beyond their contractual 35-hour week are spent undertaking tasks that should be undertaken in “preparation and correction” time.
Failing to use a reduction in weekly class contact time to increase the time available for the preparation of learning, teaching, assessment and providing feedback to pupils to begin to make progress in addressing unsustainable workload is simply not acceptable.
It is of deep concern that neither the Scottish Government, nor COSLA, appear through their joint work to be prioritising workload reduction. To ignore the issue, in the context of a consultative ballot for industrial action, will only risk further escalation of the dispute.
The terms of reference of the COSLA/Scottish Government joint working group state that the SNCT will receive a full report on its work by the end of June. The commitment was also given by the Cabinet Secretary for Education in a letter to the SNCT Teachers’ Side Joint Chair on 24th February 2025, where she stated that a report would be presented to the SNCT “no later than the end of June”.
Accordingly, the Teachers’ Side has requested a full meeting of the SNCT on 25th June 2025 - the last possible time before the school year finishes.
At yesterday’s meeting, the Teachers’ Side asked for confirmation that the commitment to report to SNCT would be met.
In response, the Scottish Government failed to provide this commitment despite its previous assurances, while COSLA stated that no report would go to the full meeting of the SNCT on 25 June.
It was made clear to both COSLA and the Scottish Government by the Teachers’ Side that a failure to report to the SNCT by the end of June, as previously promised, is fundamentally unacceptable.
Throughout yesterday’s meeting, the Scottish Government failed to answer direct questions from the Teachers’ Side. It is extremely concerning that, despite being part of a joint working group, the Scottish Government seems unable to provide clarity on significant matters pertaining to the work of the group.
A large proportion of yesterday’s meeting was devoted to a presentation, given by COSLA, on the activity of the joint working group.
It is clear that COSLA’s professional advisors, including the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES), are actively engaged in the joint working group. COSLA’s advisors did not, however, actively contribute to discussion, despite being present.
Disconcertingly, during its presentation, COSLA made a number of references to potential changes to SNCT terms and conditions, beyond reducing weekly class contact time to 21 hours.
It is of significant concern that the voice of the teaching profession, the teaching trade unions, remains excluded from high level discussion that could result in proposed changes to SNCT terms and conditions.
Such an approach, by COSLA and the Scottish Government, appears to undermine collective bargaining – despite statements both have made to the contrary.
It is absolutely clear, based upon the approach of both COSLA and the Scottish Government to yesterday’s meeting, that neither is prioritising the reduction of teacher workload in their bi-lateral discussions regarding reducing class contact time to 21 hours. Neither referenced workload reduction at all throughout the course of the meeting.
As has been seen in past campaigns, the action of EIS members directly impacts on SNCT negotiations. Voting in the consultative ballot on workload is the most important action that you can take as an EIS member now.
The strongest possible turnout in the current consultative ballot on workload will strengthen the hand of your negotiators in seeking to secure improvements to terms and conditions that will finally begin to reduce excessive workload for you and your colleagues and lead to more permanent employment for the thousands of teachers currently unable to secure permanent contracts.
Vote YES twice to Strike Action and Action Short of Strike!