The EIS will provide local associations with guidance in relation to personal injury claims on behalf of members, following a successful motion proposed by Employment Relations Convener Susan Slater (Moray), on behalf of EIS Council.

The EIS will promote the active use of Risk Assessments at school and college level, following a successful motion proposed by Jacqui MacKenzie (North Ayrshire). Ms MacKenzie talked of the need to push for a workplace “where leadership acts on concerns” and of the need for high quality training for ongoing action.

The EIS will call on local authorities to provide the number of teacher referrals to local authority Employee Assistance Programmes, (EAP) in the last 2 years to receive support with ‘work related’ wellbeing or mental health concerns, as the result of a successful motion proposed by Stuart Winning (North Lanarkshire).

“We need accurate data to provide an accurate view of what we can do to further support the service,” he said.

The EIS will conduct a survey of SMT members’ working conditions, following a motion proposed by Amy Gallagher (Glasgow).

Amy highlighted bureaucracy, and extra support teachers are expected to give, and the pressures being placed upon them by leadership. She went on to describe the “relentless overbearing bureaucracy that really shouldn’t be their job.”

“Probationers don’t get the full mentoring they need to grow,” said Aisling Clark (Argyll & Bute), as she moved a motion calling on better safeguards to protect probationer teachers.

Ms Clark said that new teachers need support and structure, not what is happening currently. If a job is needed, it should be advertised – schools should not be over-relying on probationers who are still in training.

Seconding the Motion, Joanne Kelly argued that Local Authorities are using probationers as cheap labour. She stated that schools are stretched to the limit, and this needs to be addressed. AGM agreed, and backed the Motion.

A call for pupils and teachers in the senior phases of secondary schools to be allowed to work from home for one day per week failed to win support from AGM. Proposer Luca Beschi (Fife) argued that, “Working from home 1 day a week (for both staff and senior pupils) would benefit our workload and stress, and helps with work-life balance.”

Seconding the motion, David Farmer (Fife) said that a study on this issue was important and urged AGM to “Keep your mind open as to what the results might be.”

But concerns were raised in opposition to the motion by Salaries Convener Des Morris (East Renfrewshire), who highlighted the potential knock-on impact on SNCT terms & conditions, “Are we talking about teaching from home? We cannot be legally or contractually obliged to work from home. Are we talking about amendments to the handbook?”

A succession of speakers raised a range of concerns including the incompatibility of the proposal with the EIS’s policy of opposition to remote online learning, and the impact on young people for who school is a safe space or the only place where they can receive a warm meal. AGM subsequently overwhelmingly rejected the motion, on a show of hands.