Reduction in class contact time: Letter to council leaders

Dear

We are writing to you ahead of tomorrow’s Cosla Leaders meeting to urge you to take the decisions needed to avoid industrial action and to join us in implementing a reduction in class contact time (RCCT).

Both Scottish Ministers and the EIS have now signed up to the plans to implement the 90-minute RCCT across Scotland that you will be considering tomorrow. It has taken a lot of intensive work to get to this point.  It is clear that an agreement can now be reached that would see RCCT implemented by August 2027 in Primary and Special Schools, and by August 2029 in Secondary. This phased approach is intended to give councils the time and capacity required to manage recruitment and local planning effectively, and the Scottish Government and teacher unions will work with you to assist in that task.

In a letter to you earlier this week, the Cabinet Secretaries for Finance and Local Government and Education and Skills set out unequivocally that the implementation of the 90-minute reduction will be fully funded by the Scottish Government. In that letter, the Scottish Government has also committed to £40m in 2026/27 to support councils with preparatory activity and early recruitment, and to provide a multi-year budget line for implementing RCCT from 2027/28 onwards, based on modelling shared with COSLA. This modelling will be reviewed jointly by SG and COSLA analysts and will continue to be refined together, for example, using the most up to date demographic forecasting, census data, and pay and non-pay costs. This funding and the £40m are additional to the £186.5m to support teacher numbers.

The Scottish Government is also committed to providing support to our rural and island communities and will make additional, recurring funding of £1m available to support a Rural and Island Communities Teacher Fund, targeted at councils that face particular challenges in attracting teachers. This is to support them to offer or enhance incentive packages – such as relocation or housing support – to make hard to fill teaching posts more attractive. The aim is to address existing workforce gaps, enable delivery of RCCT, and contribute to wider goals around sustaining rural and island communities. Further support will also be available through the £25m Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund, which is specifically aimed at acquiring existing properties for key workers, including teachers.

The Scottish Government and the EIS are of the firm view that industrial action and the associated disruption in our schools is entirely avoidable. This agreement provides the clear route to resolution of the current dispute and the rescinding of all industrial action notices. We urge you to prioritise the interests of education, children and young people, and their teachers, and join the Scottish Government and the EIS by supporting the agreement that has been put before you.

The EIS is very clear and that should COSLA decide not to resolve the dispute through this agreement, not only will industrial action go ahead from Monday as previously notified to employers, it is highly likely to be escalated in the short weeks ahead and for the duration of the mandate, with EIS members and the wider public being left in no doubt as to why.

The EIS and the Scottish Government very much hope that good judgement in the interests of Scottish education and collegiate working on a tripartite basis prevails, and that such an acrimonious scenario otherwise can be avoided. 

Yours sincerely

JENNY GILRUTH MSP Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Scottish Government ANDREA BRADLEY General Secretary, EIS