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Stand up for Quality Education
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Work on the Stand up for Quality Education (SU4QE) Campaign continues.
The General Secretary has written to the Scottish Government seeking clarity on the £145m of unreleased funding which should be given to local authorities to increase and maintain teacher numbers. Currently the Scottish Government and COSLA have not agreed exactly how the money must be used, and we await a response to our letter.
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There are media reports to suggest that the Scottish Government is holding this back as COSLA is refusing to guarantee that it will be used to maintain teacher staff levels.
We are continuing to strive at the SNCT to implement a weekly reduction of class contact time, and for the use of the 90-minute weekly reduction to be allocated to teachers' preparation and marking.
We shall also be re-issuing guidance on workload for members shortly.
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Standing up to Poverty Guidance
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The new EIS publication, entitled ‘Standing Up to Poverty’ offers advice to members on the damaging impact of poverty on young people’s education and on how colleagues working together in schools can try to mitigate the harms.
The advice can now be accessed on our website with physical copies soon to arrive in your schools.
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The EIS has launched the next phase of our anti-poverty professional learning offer. It's designed to deepen understanding of the nature, causes and consequences of poverty that blights the lives of too many children and families in Scotland; and aims to support members towards collaboration with colleagues to shape pro-equity, anti-poverty policies and practice in their schools and other education settings.
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If you are interested in becoming an EIS PACTivist, we have three separate training days on offer.
Saturday 2nd November
10am – 2pm
EIS HQ, 46 Moray Place, Edinburgh
Wednesday 13th November
10am – 3pm
EIS HQ, 46 Moray Place, Edinburgh
Saturday 16th November
10am-2pm
EIS Area Office, 6 Clairmont Gardens, Glasgow
Please sign-up for your preferred date using the registration links on our website.
If you have any questions about EIS PACT learning, please contact Equality Learning and Development Co-ordinator, Eireann McAulay.
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Many EIS members in the independent school sector have been facing challenges as many independent schools try to make savings in response to rising costs and the imminent implementation of VAT to school fees. The EIS has been clear at a number of schools that it will not support "savings" that will either remove members from the STSS pension scheme or for members to pay some of the employers' STSS pension contributions – i.e. staff should not be asked to carry savings in order to effectively subsidise pupil fees.
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At the ESMS school, members overwhelming voted for industrial action in a statutory ballot to protect their pension payments position a few weeks ago. An agreement has now been reached, and the school has withdrawn its plans. The strength and determination of the ESMS Branch meant that they were successful in protecting members’ interests, and provide an example for other independent school branches.
The EIS ULA is currently carrying out a consultative ballot as part of its campaign to protect jobs in the Robert Gordon University.
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St Andrew's Day March and Rally: 30th November
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Every year on St Andrew’s Day, the STUC organises an Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism march in Glasgow, highlighting Scotland’s long-standing commitment to inclusivity, solidarity with refugees, and the rejection of far-right ideologies. The theme for this year’s march, Resilient and Rising: Marching for 40 Years, reflects both the enduring strength and ongoing struggles of anti-racist movements in Scotland.
The event takes place on Saturday, 30 November 2024 at 10:30am in Glasgow Green (muster at the McLennan Arch) where the march will start and proceed to Adelaide Place (209 Bath St, Glasgow G2 4HZ) for an indoor rally at 12pm. Everyone is welcome to join, and you are encouraged to bring your placards and union flags.
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Still We Rise, EIS Social Justice and Solidarity Conference
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Registrations are now open for the EIS’s equality focused two-day conference exploring how educators and trade unionists can rise up to create a fairer and more equal world for all. The first day of the conference involves leadership learning for our equality networks, whilst the second day engages all members in the equality agenda.
The full programme for the event, with details on how to register is now available on our website.
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EIS Equality Network Meetings: Mental Health and Equality
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The next series of EIS Equality Network meetings will focus on mental health from an equality perspective, unpacking social justice-informed strategies to supporting the wellbeing of disabled, neurodivergent, LGBT, BAME and women members at work.
To join an Equality Network, and sign up to our sessions, please visit our website.
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Scottish COVID Inquiry Survey
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The Scottish Covid Inquiry is gathering evidence about the impact of the pandemic on Education and as part of this process, is keen to hear from teachers and other education professionals about their experiences.
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The Inquiry has created two surveys for:
- Professionals in any early learning and childcare settings; and
- Primary, secondary and additional support needs (ASN) teachers, school management and/or educational support professionals in state and independent schools.
If members would like to contribute to this and make their voices heard, they can access the relevant survey link here. We have been advised that it should take around 15 minutes to complete and will close on Friday, 29th November 2024.
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Curriculum Improvement Opportunities
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Education Scotland is recruiting volunteer teachers and practitioners to form curriculum area collaboration groups as part of the next stage of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle.
Initially, volunteers are sought to support the work in Literacy and English, Literacy and Gàidhlig, Health and Wellbeing and Science.
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Recruitment for remaining areas will commence in early 2025 when there will be two all-day in-person workshops and two shorter online meetings.
EIS members are encouraged to consider participating. Further details and a registration form are available here. The closing date for expressions of interest is 4 November.
Additionally, Education Scotland is advertising for a number of Education Scotland Associates for each curriculum area which will involve up to fifteen days over the school year working on a focused project linked to curriculum development. Application details are available here with a closing date of 10 November.
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This is an opportunity for EIS members to raise general queries around pensions and around the McCloud Remedy.
Please select the date of the meeting you would like to attend and complete your registration details. These sessions all cover the same topics so please only register for one of the sessions. We limit attendance to 50 members per session to allow for Q&As.
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Annual Benefit Statements
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Pension Estimates for those retiring in August 2025
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The SPPA newsletter has useful information including how to obtain an estimate for your pension.
SPPA are now able to provide pension estimates for those who will retire in August 2025 or before or for mortgage purposes.
Email SPPAcontactus@gov.scot to request an estimate and give the following information: Name, Date of Birth, NI Number, Pension Reference (GTC Number), Retirement date and Current Salary.
You should receive an estimate within 6 weeks.
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We support and train members to become school-based EIS Representatives, this includes Health & Safety and Equalities Reps. The EIS works with the college tutors to deliver TUC accredited Reps’ training. Future training course dates will be published shortly. If you want to learn more, or have recently taken over as a new Rep then please explore our courses on our website.
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Are you a Probationer Teacher? - EIS Membership and Support
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