Glasgow teachers to vote on strike action over 450 job cuts

Teachers in Glasgow will vote on strike action in response to proposed job cuts. The Educational Insitute of Scotland (EIS) is balloting members in response to Glasgow City Council’s plans to cut 450 teaching posts over the next three years.

If teachers vote to strike, action could take place after schools return from the half term break. Jane Gow, secretary of EIS Glasgow, said: “The EIS is crystal clear that the loss of jobs vital to education provision in Glasgow will irreparably damage the life chances of many of the city’s young people and most especially those with additional support needs.

“Already 45 of our primary schools will see all teachers fully class committed with only the head teacher available to provide support for all pupils, staff and parents.

“This will mean there is little or no capacity for small group or one-to-one provision for those pupils in most need of nurture, literacy and numeracy support.”

Parents, teachers and pupils gathered outside Langside Halls in May to demand plans to cut 450 teaching roles over three years are halted. One parent, Bob Douglas, whose daughter attends Tinto Primary, said: “My child’s school, we believe, is going to be affected to the tune of two and a half teacher places, which is going to have a huge effect on the level of education that can be provided to my daughter.”

“The education that’s going to be able to be delivered to our children is just not going to be to the same standard that you would expect and that we pay for,” he added.

“The powers that be need to do better. We are supposed to move forward as a society, I can only see us moving backwards at the movement. It is just not good enough.”

Leanne McGuire, chair of Glasgow City Parents Group, said: “Those jobs that would be available over the next three years to support our young people, they are not going to be there. Our schools are going to be working at a reduced capacity and, as we know, their needs are already not being met.”

She also voiced concern over the potential loss of the at-risk MCR Pathways mentoring scheme which, she said, children “rely on coordinators for support”.

Ms McGuire added schools are going to “become more chaotic and a more challenging environment”. “It is not the fault of the teaching staff or school staff,” she added.