Scottish Union Suspends Strike After Class Time Cut Deal

Scotland's largest teaching union has suspended planned strike action after reaching an agreement with the Scottish Government and local authorities to reduce teachers' weekly class contact time by 90 minutes. The deal, ratified by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) on Friday, averts widespread school closures that had been set for later this month and provides funding to support implementation.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), representing most teachers in the country, had issued a 10-day notice of industrial action last week, citing excessive workloads and lack of progress in negotiations. The planned strikes targeted multiple areas, including full closures of all schools in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, and Moray, with severe disruptions expected in Dundee, Fife, and Perth and Kinross. In Glasgow alone, authorities had prepared to shut primary, secondary, and additional support for learning schools on March 18 and March 24 due to expected high participation rates among staff.

The agreement, reached earlier this week and now approved by all parties, commits to a phased reduction in class contact time to address these concerns. Primary school...