Teachers will hit the picket lines in the region today as their pay fight escalates.
Pupils returned to classrooms yesterday after the half-term break but will be back home today and tomorrow as members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) walk out.
Teachers are seeking a 10 per cent pay rise which the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the Scottish Government say is unaffordable.
Members of the EIS in Dumfries and Galloway will meet local MSPs at Holyrood in Edinburgh tomorrow to tell the politicians how they feel about pay.
EIS local association secretary Andrew O’Halloran says: “Teachers across Dumfries and Galloway are bitterly disappointed that we are forced to take further industrial action.
“We need to see investment in education and that includes teachers as part of the mix.
“The Scottish Government could have resolved this dispute long ago and we hope that MSPs will listen to our members on Wednesday.”
Local members of the EIS will be holding a rally in Stranraer this morning.
This latest round of industrial action comes after the EIS rejected a new pay offer from employers of a six per cent increase in 2022/23 and a further five and a half per cent in 2023/24.
Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Sommerville wrote an open letter to pupils explaining what support is available during strike periods.
She said: “The threat of further disruption in the run up to the exam diet is particularly concerning. I have written to local authorities asking them to consider how secondary schools can remain open for pupils preparing for exams, and this is being reviewed by councils on a school by school basis.
Meanwhile, the national executive of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) “unanimously” agreed to defer strike action this week after a poll showed a small majority would vote in favour of the Scottish Government’s new pay deal.
