School staff are routinely bullied into working up to 60 hours a week, forcing many to retire early through stress, teachers� leaders were to warn today.

School staff are routinely bullied into working up to 60 hours a week, forcing many to retire early through stress, teachers' leaders were to warn today.

Ann Ballinger, the president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, was to tell the union's annual congress that teachers are regularly put under pressure to volunteer for out-of-hours activities or risk being overlooked for promotion.

During her time as president, she has been contacted by teachers from schools across Scotland "recounting tales of dreadful bullying".

She was to say: "Far too many have retired early, exhausted by the workload, made ill by the stress and, in some cases, unable to function due to fear.

"Working weeks of 50 or 60 hours became the norm and weekends are spent catching up on administration tasks or marking.

"Additionally, far too many teachers report being informed that participation in extra-curricular activities or revision classes is essential if they want promotion."

The two-day conference in Peebles was also to hear calls for a work to rule over the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence - the current reform of what is taught in schools.

A motion from the Moray branch of the SSTA calls on union members to cease any further development work on the Curriculum for Excellence until the Scottish Government is prepared to fully fund the initiative.

"Congress warns that a ballot on industrial action may follow if attempts are made to impose Curriculum for Excellence without adequate funding," the motion adds.

The motion reflects growing concern among teachers that the Curriculum for Excellence is being "dumped" on the profession without sufficient resources to pay for it.

Launched in November 2004, the curriculum reforms were an attempt to move teaching away from rote learning and to make education more relevant, but the initiative has had a troubled history, with growing concern that new curriculum materials are too vague.