Teachers are told 10% rise ‘simply not affordable’

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it is “simply not affordable” to offer Scottish teachers a 10 per cent pay increase.

Members of The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) overwhelmingly rejected an offer of a headline 3 per cent rise on teachers’ pay earlier this week.

Asked about the issue at First Minister’s Questions, Ms Sturgeon said: “I understand the strength of feeling that teachers have expressed in their ballots.

“Pay awards have to be affordable. I would love to give teachers and all public sector workers a 10 per cent pay rise, but that is simply not affordable in a single year.”

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “The First Minister wants to be judged by her record on education, so let’s examine that record – it’s a record of austerity, which even SNP councillors now admit is going too far.

“It is a record of our teachers themselves having to buy pens, pencils, books for pupils because Scotland’s schools are starved of cash.

“How can education be your top priority with underfunded schools and undervalued teachers?”