MUSIC instructors have voted to accept a pay and conditions deal that will bring them into line with teachers, despite MSPs’ concerns about downgrading school music.
A ballot of instructors who belong to the Educational Institute of Scotland revealed 70 per cent in favour of accepting a deal that will give them the same 23 per cent rise as teachers over 28 months. Only 60 per cent of instructors voted, with 165 accepting and 69 rejecting the offer. There are almost 700 instructors in Scotland, many in the Musicians’ Union which is not recognised by local authorities.
Ronnie Smith, EIS general secretary, said the deal would give the same hours of work and working year as teachers.
The instructors are one of three groups - with psychologists and advisers - yet to benefit from the McCrone agreement. Their case sparked controversy after the union conceded an end to the automatic link to teachers’ pay established in 1987 and accepted 92.5 per cent of teachers’ rises.
Instructors last week won the support of MSPs in a special parliamentary debate, although the EIS issued a statement in advance to counter “fundamental errors” in their arguments.
Donald Gorrie, Liberal Democrat and music champion, said: “The concern of music instructors and others is that the decoupling, in two or three years’ time, of the music instructors’ pay and conditions from those of class teachers is symbolic of the downgrading of music and the devaluing of music instructors. It is an issue of status and of recognition of the importance of the job.”
Mr Smith says the union will negotiate separately for instructors in the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. He had earlier told instructors there “can be no assumption that future awards will be different for different groups”.
