What’s your diary looking like for 24 April? It’s a Wednesday, if that helps.

If you’re planning to vote in favour of strike action, you may want to leave it free. That is the day that Scotland could see its first national, teacher-led strike since the 1980s.

Late last week the executive committee of the EIS, the country’s largest teaching union, agreed to open a statutory strike ballot over pay, and accepted 24 April as the day that a strike would kick off.

The move followed a consultative ballot that drew an 81 per cent turnout - of those who took part, 57 per cent voted to reject the current pay offer and backed a move towards a strike ballot. The strike ballot will open on Monday 11 March and will run for three-and-a-half weeks.

The union’s general secretary, Larry Flanagan, said: “The 81 per cent turnout in our consultative ballot was quite remarkable and is a strong confirmation that it is our members who are making the decisions in this campaign.

“The vote - 57 per cent to reject the offer against 43 per cent to accept - was a decisive one and leaves both the Scottish government and [local authorities’ umbrella body] Cosla in no doubt as to the mood of members and our ability and willingness to move to strike action if that is what is required to generate an acceptable offer.”

The EIS executive agreed that the union will continue to pursue a negotiated settlement and that it wishes to continue dialogue to that end. A meeting of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers - the tripartite organisation comprising unions and local and national government - is scheduled for Monday.