A teaching union has rejected a proposed settlement on class contact time after an overwhelming vote by members.
The Scottish Secondary School Teachers' Association (SSTA) has over 5,000 members as of 2026.
Potential strikes in April or May in the run-up to the 2026 Holyrood election looked to have been avoided after the EIS, the largest teachers' union, struck a deal with the Scottish Government and COSLA.
The plan would see a 90 minute reduction in class contact time, with Holyrood committed to meeting the full cost of implementing this agreement, including £40 million in 2026-27 for the recruitment of additional teachers required to deliver the change.
Read More:
- Scotland school strikes averted after union strikes deal
- Giving teachers less classroom time, not more, is the true key
- How the Scottish Government avoided school strikes
However, the SSTA expressed concerns that the implementation would not arrive until 2029 and said there was a "clear risk that further obstacles may emerge in the months ahead".
The union said it could not support the agreement without consulting members, who were emailed a link to an online survey.
The 48 hour online consultative survey of members received 1138 responses with 91% calling for the agreement to be renegotiated and 88% saying it should not be accepted.
Peter Brandon, convenor of the SSTA salaries and conditions of service committee, said: “SSTA members have made their position clear: 88% have rejected the agreement, while 91% are calling for it to be renegotiated. Furthermore, 94% oppose the proposed implementation date of August 2029. The SSTA has listened to its members and, as a member-led association, will reject the current agreement and demand meaningful changes.”
Seamus Searson, SSTA general secretary, said: “This agreement effectively ‘kicks down the road’ the prospect of secondary teachers receiving a reduction in class contact time. By 2029, there will be a new Scottish Government and a reconstituted COSLA, both of which may have different priorities. As such, there is a real risk that this agreement may never be delivered.”
“The SSTA has no option but to defend the interests of secondary teachers and to focus on practical measures to reduce workload in the months and years ahead. Members are clear that they want to concentrate on their core responsibility of teaching and learning, and on immediate, practical steps to address the ever-increasing demands placed upon them by the Scottish Government and local authorities.”
Share