Union boss demands changes for teachers

Teaching union bosses are demanding action over burgeoning workloads and poor wages.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said almost nine out of ten of respondents said their duties had increased over the past year.

While more than half of those questioned said they would not recommend teaching as a profession.

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said:“When asked about workload changes in the past year, 86 per cent of respondents stated that workload had increased over 2016-2017 session.

“As ever in Scottish education, there is a gap between rhetoric and reality – so maybe time needs to be spent on actually dealing with the problem.”

He added:“In the survey, we asked how many respondents would recommend teaching as a profession.

“A majority of 54 per cent of respondents stated that they would not recommend teaching as a profession.

“Teachers should be the best advert for the profession but if 54 per cent are saying they wouldn’t recommend it as a career, that’s a very clear sign for government and employers that action needs to be taken – and that action needs to make a difference to teachers.”

The survey was taken by 1,000 EIS members by email three weeks ago, with about 30 per cent responding.

The union added that teachers’pay has declined by about 16 per cent in real terms over the past decade.