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No boycott against new curriculum Teaching union backs ballot call
(about 1 hour later)
Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS, has backed away from industrial action over the controversial new curriculum for schools. Scotland's largest teaching union has voted for a ballot on industrial action over claims of multi-million pound cuts to education budgets.
Instead of a boycott, members voted to campaign for improvements to the more flexible Curriculum for Excellence. Members of the EIS said schools were facing cuts in the number of teachers and classroom assistants, as well as resources such as books and jotters.
They said it was good in principle but ill thought-out and under-funded. Earlier, the union backed away from boycotting the introduction of the new curriculum for excellence in schools.
Later, delegates at the union's annual conference in Perth will debate a ballot for industrial action over cuts to education budgets. At its annual conference, members voted to campaign for improvements.
They believe resources ranging from jobs to jotters are under threat.
Union leaders have questioned government claims that budgets have increased by 43% since devolution, asking where the money has gone.
Commenting on the Curriculum for Excellence motion (CfE), an EIS spokesman said: "The motion passed today re-affirms EIS support for the principles of the Curriculum for Excellence, but recognises that there is a great deal of work to be done if CfE is to deliver on its promise.Commenting on the Curriculum for Excellence motion (CfE), an EIS spokesman said: "The motion passed today re-affirms EIS support for the principles of the Curriculum for Excellence, but recognises that there is a great deal of work to be done if CfE is to deliver on its promise.
"The EIS will continue to engage with both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that schools and teachers receive the funding, resources, development time and training required to allow CfE to be delivered successfully.""The EIS will continue to engage with both the Scottish Government and local authorities to ensure that schools and teachers receive the funding, resources, development time and training required to allow CfE to be delivered successfully."
'Warmly welcomed'
A Scottish Government spokeswoman welcomed the EIS support for the Curriculum for Excellence.A Scottish Government spokeswoman welcomed the EIS support for the Curriculum for Excellence.
She said: "Significant resources are being put in place to make Curriculum for Excellence real in classrooms.She said: "Significant resources are being put in place to make Curriculum for Excellence real in classrooms.
"The Scottish Government has put in place an additional implementation year; has provided £4m for 100 teachers to support implementation, has brought in three extra in-service days to support implementation, which was warmly welcomed by the EIS Education Convenor, and produced exemplar material for teachers." "The Scottish Government has put in place an additional implementation year; has provided £4m for 100 teachers to support implementation, has brought in three extra in-service days to support implementation, which was warmly welcomed by the EIS education convenor, and produced exemplar material for teachers."
Before the vote on budget cuts, union leaders questioned government claims that budgets had increased by 43% since devolution, asking where the money had gone.
EIS Education convenor Larry Flannigan told BBC Scotland: "Teachers can only judge on the basis of the amount of money available to them in the classroom.
"Our evidence is quite clear that the per capita spending in schools has been decreasing rapidly over the last few years.
"So if there's an increased spending we would like to know where the money's actually going because it's not hitting the classrooms and it's not supporting teaching and learning in the classrooms."