Unions and government said the agreement, which ended the threat of a strike ballot, would ensure stability in schools, helping staff recruitment and retention in the coming years.
The deal means a three per cent rise from last April, an extra seven per cent from April 2019 and three per cent from next April. It will increase a classroom teacher’s salary at the top of pay scale to more than £41,500 from £36,500.
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS, hailed the pay deal as a “significant success for Scotland’s teachers and for Scottish education” that went further than pay alone.
Recruitment and retention, professional development, workload and the level of support for pupils with additional support needs were all issues that informed the discussions, he said.
John Swinney, the education secretary, said the pay rise – reached in conjunction with local authorities – would be taken from the existing education budget. He cited the “importance we place on valuing teachers and improving the attractiveness of the profession”.
He added: “It is an agreement that removes the threat of industrial action, will provide the stability we need to make the reform Scotland’s education system needs and deliver the best possible outcomes for our young people."