Teachers in east of Scotland walk out of classrooms in second day of strikes over pay row

Teachers in the east of Scotland are striking in a bitter row over a Scottish Government pay offer.

Schools are to fully or partially close to pupils on Thursday due to the action by the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) and NASUWT, while a raft of measures have been put in place elsewhere.

It comes after educators rejected a “deliberately divisive and inadequate” pay offer from the Scottish Government and council body COSLA.

Colleagues in the west of the country walked out on Wednesday as part of the split two-day action.

Some local authorities, including Fife, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders, have shut buildings to all pupils due to staffing issues, while others such as Aberdeen and Dundee are only open to senior students.

The latest pay offer from the Scottish Government, which included rises of between 5% and 6.85%, was formally turned down last week.

Teaching unions have asked for 10% amid the cost of living crisis, but education secretary Shirley-Anne Sommerville branded that demand “unaffordable”.

But SSTA general secretary Seamus Searson said staff wanted a “fair and reasonable offer,” adding: “Teachers do not want to be taking strike action as they would rather be in school teaching.

“We are taking part in the strike this week to send a hard message to the employer and Scottish Government that teachers demand to be respected and receive a professional salary that will act to retain teachers in Scottish schools.

“The SSTA can only apologise to the pupils and their parents who are stuck in the middle of a dispute that should have been resolved in months ago.”

Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union walked out on November 24, leading to almost every school in the country shutting down for a day.

The SSTA and NASUWT represent a smaller pool than EIS, but closures will still affect certain areas.

Education secretary Shirley-Anne Sommerville said: “Strike action is in no-one’s interest, least of all learners, parents and carers.

“We remain committed to a fair, sustainable settlement for Scotland’s teachers and will continue to engage teaching unions and COSLA constructively.

“The request for a 10% increase for all teachers – even the highest paid – is not affordable within the Scottish Government’s fixed budget.”

In full: School closures and affected classes

Aberdeen City Council

Secondary schools closed to S1-S4 pupils.

Aberdeenshire Council

Parents will be notified in individual cases where school closures apply. Where possible, all schools will remain open but the industrial action will affect each school in different ways, which may include partial closures or disrupted timetables in some settings.

Angus Council

Closures affecting individual schools. Parents will be notified in each case.

Clackmannanshire

All secondary schools closed to S1-S3 pupils.

Dundee City Council

Secondary schools be open only to S5 and S6 pupils. Individual secondary schools may allow S4 pupils to attend where staffing allows. Parents will be notified in each case.

Edinburgh City Council

Around 10% of teachers are expected to strike. Some secondary schools will be closed or partially closed. More information will be provided to parents by their schools as soon as possible.

Falkirk

No confirmed closures. Parents will be notified of individual cases but disruption to classes likely.

Fife

All secondary schools closed to students.

Midlothian Council

All secondary schools closed.

Moray Council

All secondary schools closed to S1-S3 pupils. Individual arrangements in each school in place for pupils in S4-S6. Parents will be notified in each case.

Perth and Kinross Council

All secondary schools except Pitlochry High School will be closed to pupils in S1-S4. S5-S6 pupils should attend school as normal.

Scottish Borders Council

All secondary schools closed to pupils.

Stirling Council

No confirmed closures. Parents will be notified of individual cases but disruption to classes likely.

West Lothian Council

All secondary schools closed to S1-S4 pupils except Winchburgh Academy, which is open to S1 pupils as well as those in S5 and S6. Parents will be notified of individual cases in certain other schools but disruption to classes likely.