Chaos coming
A SMALL minority of teachers are on the verge of bringing turmoil to secondary schools in Scotland, The Sunday Post can reveal.
Members of the country’s biggest teaching union, the EIS, are set to vote in favour of crippling industrial action this autumn in protest over their workloads.
But, so far, fewer than half have bothered to cast their ballot.
It means parents and children could face massive disruption after the summer even though only a small proportion of teachers have actually voted in favour of it.
Opposition politicians last night lined up to criticise both teachers, who get 13 weeks paid holiday a year and are contracted to work no more than 35 hours a week during term time, and the SNP’s handling of the situation.
Tory shadow secretary for education Liz Smith said: “Parents quite rightly feel angry that industrial action has the greatest effect on pupils in our classrooms and if that industrial action is dictated by a very small ballot then that anger just intensifies.
“Notwithstanding the serious challenges which are facing teachers in terms of excessive workloads, industrial action is not the appropriate way forward.
“Indeed it is this kind of situation which prompted demands for the reform of trade union legislation.”
As anger grew over the potential for disruption yesterday, Education Secretary John Swinney launched a charm offensive to appease teachers at the EIS annual conference in Dundee.
To boos, jeers and cries of “rubbish”, he announced that the new national tests being introduced for P1, P4, P7 and S3 pupils next year would not add to the workload of teachers.
He said: “Standardised assessments are not about adding to the burden, or about creating league tables or have having a finger pointing culture.
“They’re about equipping us with the data to enable us to ensure young people are given the best chance in life.”
Mr Swinney, who has been holding secret one-to-one meetings with teachers around the country to hear first-hand the scale of the problems facing Scotland’s schools, also announced the assessments are to be marked automatically by computers.
A tender for the contract to deliver the online system will be issued this week.
Mr Swinney said: “No additional workload – no high-stakes, externally marked tests.
“It’s not internal or external. It’s automatic. That is the modern approach to sensible, proportionate, teacher-led assessment that we need and that is exactly what we will work with you to deliver.”
The EIS last month launched a statutory industrial action ballot “in relation to the excessive assessment demands placed on teachers and pupils” as a result of new National 4 and 5 qualifications introduced into schools.
Union chiefs said an expert group set up to look at ways of reducing workload in the wake of Curriculum for Excellence changes had not gone far enough.
While the proposed industrial action by the EIS would stop short of a mass walkout, it would see teachers “working to contract” by boycotting additional tasks in relation to SQA assessments and verification.
However, the proposal to launch industrial action has been met with apathy by the majority of teachers.
On Wednesday, Larry Flanagan, General Secretary of the EIS, issued a desperate plea for its members to vote “yes” for action in the ballot.
The email stated that “the majority of members have yet to cast their vote” ahead of the poll closing on Thursday.
see any problems” involving England supporters.
He added: “We understand from the reports that it’s a very small minority of England fans that have been involved.
“We also understand that, unfortunately, there has been quite a lot of provocation from the French and also the Russian elements that are in the area.”
He also said the style of policing was “a little bit different” from what England fans would be used to.
He added: “The first option at the moment seems to be the French police are going to put tear gas in the areas where there are potentially going to be problems.”
Tension in the southern port city remained high right up until kickoff at the Stade Velodrome.
Reporters on the ground told how bottles were being thrown “every couple of minutes” and described the situation as “pretty terrifying”, with bloodied England fans being dragged away by police, to the sound of sirens blaring out across the main square.
The violence has echoed the dreadful scenes from the France 1998 World Cup.
English fans clashed with local hooligans in what became known as the Battle of Marseille, after Glenn Hoddle’s side beat Tunisia.
The Football Association said in a statement: “We are really disappointed by the scenes of disorder in Marseille and condemn such behaviour. It is in the hands of the authorities to identify those involved and deal with them appropriately.
“The FA urges supporters who are travelling to Marseille to act in a respectful manner and enjoy the match against Russia.”
Labour’s Andy Burnham said England fans’ behaviour was “embarrassing” given the terrorism threat to France.
In a series of tweets he said the supporters had been “let down by a minority”, who may have been provoked but were “not blameless” over the violence.