JOHN MACLEOD: The SNP broke their promises on education… now they will face electoral death by teacher strike
The article argues that the SNP’s 2021 pledge to reduce teachers’ classroom contact time was made without a clear plan for staffing or costs. It says the issue could become a political liability as teachers press for the promise to be delivered and the government faces difficult choices.
The writer says primary schools may be able to provide more non-contact time from next August by using classroom assistants, while changes for secondary teachers are promised from 2029. Delivery may be harder because Scotland has fewer teachers than in 2007 and faces recruitment shortages in subjects including English, maths, chemistry and modern languages.
- The SNP pledged to reduce teachers’ classroom contact time.
- Staffing shortages could make the promise hard to deliver.
- Secondary changes are promised from 2029.
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Scotland’s schools are run by the Scottish Government, while councils employ most teachers and organise local services. Teachers’ classroom contact time is the time they spend teaching lessons; reducing it would give them more time for preparation and other work.
The SNP pledged in 2021 to reduce teachers’ contact time, but putting that into practice involves decisions about staffing, costs and how schools cover lessons. Teacher numbers and recruitment vary across Scotland, and shortages in some subjects can make changes harder to arrange. The issue matters to teachers, pupils, councils and the government because it affects working conditions and how schools are staffed.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Teachers can reasonably argue that reducing classroom contact time would honour a public pledge and give them more time to plan, assess pupils’ work and support learning. With recruitment shortages and workloads under pressure, keeping the promise could help make teaching more sustainable, though it would require a credible plan for staffing and funding.
The case against
The government can reasonably argue that the pledge cannot be delivered responsibly without enough qualified staff and a clear account of the costs. Using classroom assistants may not provide the specialist capacity schools need, while rapid changes could strain budgets or disrupt provision; phasing in reforms, including the later secondary timetable, may be more practical.