Equality Motions

Created on: 29 May 2023 | Last modified: 10 Jun 2023


Motions

Resolutions

35. Council and Renfrewshire Local Association

“That this AGM calls on Council to:

  • Investigate and report on the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), women, disabled and/or LGBT members' experiences of access to progression and promotion opportunities;
  • Investigate and report on ways to encourage and support more ethnic and religious diversity into the Scottish teaching profession; and
  • Develop guidance for Local Association Secretaries to complement existing EIS guidance on negotiating for improvements to recruitment and retention practices as pertaining to BAME staff."

 Carried

36. Council and EIS-FELA

"That this EIS AGM resolves to oppose refugee expulsions to Rwanda and to reaffirm its support for Stand up to Racism initiatives including the annual UN anti-racism day march.

Furthermore, that this AGM reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Justice for Sheku Bayoh Campaign and standing in solidarity with the family of Sheku Bayoh as they continue to fight for justice."

 Carried

37. Inverclyde Local Association

"That this AGM reaffirms the Institute's welcome to New Scots in our Early Years, Primary, Secondary, ASN, HE and FE sectors and calls on Council to investigate and report on curriculum resourcing that allows new Scots to celebrate their first culture in the same way that Scots is celebrated through CfE."

 Carried

38. Inverclyde Local Association

"That this AGM reaffirms the Institute's welcome to new Scots in our Early Years, Primary, Secondary, ASN, HE and FE sectors and calls on Council to campaign for those new Scots to be assessed in their first language if they so wish."

 Carried

39. Glasgow Local Association

"That this AGM calls on the EIS to:

  1. Investigate and report on the impact of conversion practices on members who have experienced it directly or have supported students or colleagues who have experienced it.
  2. Share findings in the report with all members.
  3. Use the findings of the report to develop EIS policy on conversion practices.
  4. Use the findings to contribute to campaigning in relation to conversion practices and the proposed banning of them in Scotland.
  5. Endorse the following definition of 'Conversion Practices' and related terms;

Proposed definition:

  1. 'Conversion practices': refers to any treatment, practice or effort that aims to change, suppress and/or eliminate a person's sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.
  2. 'Gender expression' and 'expression of sexual orientation': refers to each person's manifestations of their gender identity and/or sexual orientation, and/or the one that is perceived by others.
  3. 'Gender identity': refers to each person's internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with their sex assigned at birth, including their personal sense of the body (which may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance and/or functions by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions of gender, including name, dress, speech and mannerisms.
  4. 'Sexual orientation': refers to a person's emotional, affectional and sexual attraction to persons of a different gender, the same gender or more than one gender and includes the lack of such attraction or relations.
  5. 'To change': refers to practices which seek to alter or modify a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, expression of sexual orientation and/or gender expression.
  6. 'To suppress': refers to practices which seek to put an end to, restrain and/or prevent the development or the manifestation of another person's sexual orientation, gender identity, expression of sexual orientation and/or gender expression."

Carried

40. Council

"That this AGM reaffirms the EIS's support for the passing of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which will bring Scotland closer to meeting transgender people's human rights, as recognised by the United Nations."

 Carried

41. Council and North Ayrshire Local Association

"That this AGM instructs Council to develop a teaching resource on the Scottish context for the historical campaign to remove Section 2A of the Local Government Act 1986 (Section 28 in England and Wales).

Furthermore, AGM resolves to request that the Scottish Government gather data on teachers' sexual orientation and gender identity in the annual teacher census to monitor and promote LGBT+ representation in the profession."

Amendment Scottish Borders Local Association

Insert ',(through a voluntary and completely anonymous process),' after "gather data" and before "on teachers".

 Carried

42. North Ayrshire Local Association

"AGM resolves to request local association secretaries review incident reporting forms and ensure that this explicitly include incidents motivated through homo/bi phobia and through transphobia."

 Carried

43. Glasgow Local Association

"This AGM calls for the EIS to investigate and report upon the training currently provided to SMT on reproductive health issues across all local authorities.

The investigation to include but not be limited to whether the training covers:

  1. The physical and mental health impact that menstrual health issues canhave on the day-to-day work of the members.
  2. The physical and mental health impact that menstrual health issues can have on young people in education.
  3. The reasonable adjustments that can be made by SMT to support the member to continue to carry out their roles and responsibilities.
  4. The reasonable adjustments that can be made by SMT to support young people to access education when dealing with reproductive health issues.
  5. The role occupational therapy can play in supporting both the member and the SMT."

 Carried

44. Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire Local Association

"This AGM believes that the menopause is an occupational health and an equality issue. Furthermore, it believes that schools, colleges and universities should be suitable workplaces for menopausal women.

This AGM therefore instructs Council to issue advice and guidance for all members and reps to support members working through the menopause and to help improve the workplace conditions for menopausal women.

Furthermore, that our menopause guidance is reworded to remove an age reference for menopause and to include perimenopause."

 Carried

45. Edinburgh Local Association

"That this AGM instructs Council to update the content of the PACT materials in line with the cost-of-living crisis and refresh the offer and delivery of PACT at the beginning of an academic year so that schools with equity on their School Improvement Plans can utilise the materials as part of those plans."

 Carried

46. North Lanarkshire Local Association

"This AGM instruct Council to call for the extension of the 'annual' school clothing grant awarded to families in receipt of eligible benefits to be awarded 'bi-annually'."

 Carried

47. North Ayrshire Local Association

"AGM resolves to investigate and report on arrangements for the reporting andrecording of equality-based incidents (including potential hate crimes) in schools in order to identify best practice and gaps in current reporting mechanisms."

 Carried 

48. North Ayrshire Local Association

"AGM instructs the EIS Council to investigate and report on a constitutional amendment to provide reserved space(s) on Council for BAME, LGBT+ and Disabled members."

 Carried