A MAJORITY of teachers are working at least an extra eight hours a week, a new survey shows.

The study by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) teaching union found six out of ten full time classroom staff work the extra hours.

A similar proportion of part-time staff said they worked at least five extra hours a week.

And a quarter of teachers said no time is factored in for vital work related to the assessment of pupils.

The survey, which involved more than 12,000 teachers, comes as the EIS prepares for its annual general meeting in Perth.

Nearly 60 motions will be debated with concerns over excessive workload demands top of the agenda.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, said: “Teachers across Scotland have serious concerns about the excessive workload demands that are being placed upon them.

“These concerns are common across all levels of school, at all grades of post and in all parts of the country.

“Teachers are working many additional hours over and above their contractual commitments, with serious impact on their family life and on their mental and physical wellbeing.”

Mr Flanagan welcomed a commitment to reduce workload written into a recent agreement with the Scottish Government and council umbrella body Cosla on teachers’ pay.

But he added: “We now expect local authorities and the Scottish Government to make quick progress in delivering those commitments.”

Earlier this week it emerged that teachers at the AGM will vote on whether they should cut the time they spend in the classroom to 17.5 hours a week to free them up for marking and preparing lessons.

It comes after teachers won a 13 per cent pay increase, staggered over three years, following a lengthy campaign and threats of strike action.

The EIS also wants a campaign to reduce class sizes to a maximum of 20 as part of the wider campaign to reduce the pressures facing teachers with rising indiscipline and red tape.