- SSTA calls on staff to refuse to work beyond the contractually agreed 35-hour working week
Teachers are being 'emotionally blackmailed' into taking on excessive workloads, a union boss will claim today.
Stuart Hunter, chairman of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association (SSTA), is calling on staff to refuse to work longer than the contractually agreed 35-hour working week.
He will also compare the treatment teachers receive with the experience of victims of domestic abuse, claiming they have been 'very subtly controlled and coerced' into taking on additional tasks for which they were not trained.
Mr Hunter will suggest that the 'most effective way… to end controlling and coercive behavior is to first recognize that it is happening', but that the next step is to 'unite and with one voice speak clearly that magic word say: No'.
Stuart Hunter (pictured) is the chairman of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association
Scottish Tory education spokesman Liam Kerr said: 'Teacher shortages are at the root of this demand for extra hours and the blame for that lies squarely with the SNP government, which has underfunded councils and presided over a decline in numbers, rather than delivering the promised 3,500 extra teachers.”
Into the SSTA conference GlasgowMr Hunter will say that a culture has been created 'where teachers cannot say 'no' because it will not look good for them – after all it is 'in the best interests of the children'.
“Here's the conundrum: How can we reduce our workload to our contractually agreed upon 35-hour workweek without harming our students?
'Why do we allow ourselves to be emotionally blackmailed to the point of damaging our own mental health to do the work we love? Institutional controlling or coercive behavior is in many ways similar to the more commonly known domestic form of abuse.'
Mr Hunter will say a culture has been created where teachers cannot refuse for fear it will not look good for them (file photo)
Meanwhile, the NASUWT, whose conference is being held virtually today, said the SNP government is 'failing to act with the urgency needed to get to grips with the escalating crisis of violence and abuse among pupils'.
Last night a Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The NASUWT is part of the national group charged with developing a behavioral action plan – demonstrating a clear partnership between the Scottish Government and teachers' professional associations.'
He added: 'Scotland has the lowest student-teacher ratio of any British country.'