Teacher strike shuts the doors at all Highland schools

By Garrett Stell

January 24 2023, 10:03 am

Highland Council schools are looking at another day without classes as teachers continue their strikes over pay. Image: Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

Highland Council has announced that all schools, nurseries and special schools will close during a teacher strike next week.

This will be the third time this school year that Highland schools have had to close due to ongoing dispute between unions, local authorities and the Scottish Government over teacher pay. Schools and nurseries across the region will be closed on Tuesday January 31.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is demanding a 10% pay rise at all levels. Negotiations have stalled since the most recent government offer, which promised a gradated pay rise according to experience. The government’s offer is capped at 6.85%, for the lowest earners.

EIS members rejected this pay offer on November 23 2022. There has not been a new offer, despite repeated negotiations.

More disruptions likely in the coming weeks

The EIS is planning two more phases of strike action in February and March. First, there will be two days of nationwide strikes on February 28 and March 1.

These will mark the start of another 20 days of rolling strike action, with members in each local authority going out on strike on different days. The EIS has not announced the strike schedule yet to say when it will call out Highland Council members, but it is likely that schools will close when they do.

Next week’s strike day marks the third time that EIS has called out its members.

On November 24, EIS called for a nationwide walkout which triggered school closures across the country. The Association of Head Teachers and Deputes Scotland (ADHS) joined in on the day. It was the biggest industrial action over teacher pay since the 1980s.

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Then on January 10 and 11, EIS called out all primary and secondary teachers on consecutive days. This triggered some controversy among parents at special schools. They questioned why their students were forced to miss two days instead of just one.

EIS membership is widespread, including more than 55,000 teachers and approximately 80% of Scotland’s teacher workforce. Due to the union’s size, Highland Council has been forced to close all schools each time EIS members have gone on strike.

If the pattern holds, parents across the Highlands can expect at least three more days of closures before the end of March.

For all of the latest on how strikes will impact schools in your area, check our teacher strike page for regular updates.