 The union wants action to reduce class sizes |
School teachers have voted for a ballot on industrial action in pursuit of smaller classes in Scotland. The move was decided by delegates of the EIS teaching union at its annual conference in Dundee.
They want the Scottish Executive to show a commitment to cutting sizes in line with EIS policy of no more than 20 pupils per primary and secondary class.
The executive is waiting on a working group to publish its interim report, expected at the end of this month.
Last week the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issued figures indicating that Scotland has the third largest primary classes in Europe.
The agency also said there was no consistent link between class size and children's performance.
But the union claims the executive's new policy of tailoring teaching to each child will need smaller classes.
EIS general secretary Ronnie Smith said it was too early to say what sort of action the teachers may take.
He said: "I think the real agenda is - are we going to get a reduction in class sizes?
Assess tactics
"We believe there is a broad consensus, certainly among teachers, and we believe also among parents.
"What we do need is for the politicians to come across and make the hard commitments to go further than those they've already given.
"We'll assess the position, the tactics to adopt, to drive forward that agenda."
From next year, numbers will be capped at 20 in early secondary in the key subjects of maths and English. No five-year-old starting school will be in a class of more than 25.
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What we do need is the politicians to come across and make the hard commitments to go further than those they've already given
