This comes after Scotland’s largest teachers’ union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) recently voted unanimously to allow local teaching unions to strike if councils proceed with budget cuts which impact on frontline educational services.  It also follows parliamentary Labour Leader, Wendy Alexander’s use of a quote by the General Secretary of the Headteachers’ Association of Scotland in First Ministers Questions that Scottish education is in ‘meltdown’.  

John Stodter, General Secretary of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) said that whilst teachers’ concerns were understandable, the situation varies largely across local authorities and we may be getting a skewed picture of the present circumstances.  

Stodter says: “Some local authorities have had no cuts while others have had significant cuts.  So what emerges is an uneven picture.  You’re seeing strong reactions in some specific councils and it may be that what emerges is a very local response. 

“One of the problems with the single outcome agreements is that it is quite difficult to get a general picture.  In the past, some of the Government targets applied to each and every council in the same way.  Now there are Scotland-wide targets but each local authority will deal with them differently and have different timescales for reaching them relating to local circumstances.  So we don’t have a very clear national picture and we may be getting a partial impression.

“ADES would not describe the situation as anywhere near ‘meltdown’.  We do face a challenging budget settlement but in truth, it is no different from any other year and there are some local authorities that are not facing cuts in education.” 

Likewise teachers’ associations recognise teachers’ difficulties but warn against strike action as a means of solving the funding issue.  Greg Dempster, General Secretary of the Association of Headteachers and Deputes of Scotland (AHDS) says: “We at AHDS absolutely don’t support this move by EIS.  We don’t think that striking and withholding education from children is the best way to ensure improvement in education.

“We do understand the frustration and problems that will occur as a result of tight and shrinking budgets for schools but what is needed is a proper discussion about what can be achieved with the resources available.  Striking is not the solution.”  

Brian Cooklin, President of the Headteachers Association of Scotland (HAS) says: “As a professional association, HAS cannot support strike action but we understand the sense of frustration EIS is experiencing given the damaging nature of the cuts in various parts of the country.

“We respect the right to strike but feel that in this case, strike action is probably not going to achieve the end teachers are looking for.” 

With the threat of industrial action obviously causing concern amongst parents, Judith Gillespie, Development Manager of Scottish Parent Teacher Council argues that teachers must accept the financial reality that the funding available to local authorities is tight and priorities must be made.  

Gillespie says: “I think in some respects, teachers’ threat of strike is very unhelpful because budgets are tight and in that sense, expansion has come to an end. 

“What I find difficult about the threat of a teachers’ strike is that while they’re asking for budgets to be restored - and budgets have not been cut, they’re just no longer expanding – they are still demanding things which will increase the amount of money that’s spent.  These things can only be done by taking money from other areas.  People need to be realistic about money and prioritise.  There is no service that doesn’t have a finite budget. 

“Improved salaries and conditions have been very generous up until now but the money is no longer there.  And to pretend that going on strike will bring the money back is foolish in the extreme.”