The agreement on the reduction of class contact time between the Scottish Government, COSLA and the EIS has now been published and will be submitted to the Scottish Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (SNCT) for consideration and implementation.. The SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee will meet next week to prepare a formal response to the agreement ahead of the SNCT meeting.
The agreement outlines the following key points:
- An additional 90 minutes of reduced class contact time will be allocated as undirected Professional Time.
- A review of relevant definitions within the SNCT Handbook will be undertaken to ensure clarity and consistency in the use of Professional Time.
- All primary teachers and teachers in special schools will have a maximum weekly class contact time of 21 hours from the start of the academic year in August 2027.
- All secondary teachers will have a maximum weekly class contact time of 21 hours from the start of the academic year in August 2029.
Peter Brandon, Convenor of the SSTA Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee, said:
“Many secondary teachers will be disappointed with this agreement. It risks dividing the profession and creating resentment that could take years to resolve. Secondary teachers are now expected to wait more than three years for a meaningful change in workload. This agreement does little to support teacher retention and may instead prompt some to accelerate plans to leave the profession. Secondary teachers need this reduction in class contact time now—not in 2029.”
Seamus Searson, SSTA General Secretary, added:
“Secondary teachers have long called for a reduction in workload, and reducing class contact time by 90 minutes is a modest but important step. However, the SSTA has serious concerns about this agreement. Local authorities, through COSLA, have received sufficient funding (£186.5 million in 2025–2026) to implement this reduction, yet changes for secondary teachers have been delayed until August 2029. It is difficult to understand why secondary schools have not seen an increase in staffing to help ease pressures on teachers this year.”
“The SSTA remains cautious about the delivery of this agreement, given COSLA’s track record of delays in progressing workload commitments through the SNCT in recent years. There is a clear risk that further obstacles may arise in the months ahead. As it stands, COSLA appears to be the only party benefiting from this agreement.”
Best wishes
Seamus Searson
General Secretary