‘We want to be in our classrooms’: Teachers urge Education Secretary to prevent eight days of strike in Dunfermline schools

Shirley-Anne Somerville's constituency is being targeted with extra strikes which will close schools again this week.

By Cheryl Peebles

February 20 2023, 2:38pm

Carnegie Primary School is among the Dunfermline schools which will close for three days this week. Image: Google Maps.

Teachers are pleading with the Education Secretary to end strikes which will close schools in Dunfermline for eight days in three weeks.

Members of the EIS teaching union are targeting Shirley-Anne Somerville’s Fife constituency with two local three-day strikes, in addition to the national action planned.

This means 27 Dunfermline primary schools are expected to close from Wednesday to Friday this week, February 28 and March 1 and March 7 to 9.

The town’s four secondary schools are likely to be open only to some pupils.

The Fife local association of the EIS and individual teachers have written to Ms Somerville urging her to settle the dispute, which has already closed schools several times since November.

Every teacher I’ve spoken to wants to be in their classroom.”

Graeme Keir, EIS Fife

A new pay offer rejected last week – 11.5% over two years – was described the EIS as inadequate.

The letter by EIS Fife spokesperson Graeme Keir says: “Every teacher I’ve spoken to wants to be in their classroom during February, March and April.”

But he said they had suffered a 20% real terms pay cut since 2008, faced unprecedented challenges posed by a mental health crisis and were overwhelmed by ever-increasing workload.

Shirley-Anne Somerville at an EIS conference in Dundee’s Caird Hall last June. Image: Steve MacDougall / DC Thomson.

He said: “Teachers cannot accept the pay offer on the table and only the Scottish Government can intervene to keep classrooms open at the end of this month.”

Ms Somerville, however, said it was the EIS’s decision to continue strikes while pay talks are ongoing which was causing schools to close.

She said: “It is deeply regrettable that they are pressing ahead while further meetings are due to take place this week.

“The government’s focus is on resolving the industrial dispute, delivering a fair and sustainable settlement for teachers and ending disruption to pupils, parents and carers.

“We are very disappointed that the EIS rejected outright the latest pay offer – the fifth offered to unions – which would have meant an 11.5% increase, or £5,000, in April for most teachers, and a cumulative increase of almost 30% since January 2018.”

Constituencies of four other key politicians – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer and Cosla resources spokesperson, Councillor Katie Hagmann – are also being targeted with the additional strike dates.

Further strikes are planned by the EIS between March 13 and April 21, affecting each local authority area over three days.