Members of the SSTA and NASUWT unions are taking part in the first of two days of industrial action across Scotland in their ongoing pay dispute.<br /><br />Thousands of pupils miss school as teachers strike.<br /><br />Thousands of pupils across Scotland are having another unscheduled day off school as teachers take more strike action.<br /><br />Members of the SSTA and NASUWT unions are walking out in their ongoing pay dispute on Wednesday and Thursday.<br /><br />It follows the EIS strike which saw almost all schools close on 24 November and the rejection of the latest pay offer of a maximum 6.85%.<br /><br />The Scottish government said the unions' demands were "not affordable".<br /><br />Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said it was very disappointing that the fourth offer put to the unions had been rejected.<br /><br />Which schools will be hit by the Scottish teachers' strikes?<br /><br />On Wednesday, industrial action is taking place in: Argyll and Bute; Dumfries and Galloway; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Renfrewshire; Eilean Siar; City of Glasgow; Highland; Inverclyde; North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney; Renfrewshire; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; West Dunbartonshire.<br /><br />The local authorities affected on Thursday are: City of Aberdeen; Angus; Aberdeenshire; Clackmannanshire; Dundee City; City of Edinburgh; East Lothian; Falkirk; Fife; Midlothian; Moray; Perth and Kinross; Scottish Borders; Stirling; West Lothian.<br /><br />Disruption is expected in most areas through either partial or full closures of schools.<br /><br />Although mainly limited to secondary schools, some primaries are affected. About a third of councils said they expected "significant" disruption.<br /><br /><br />Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the pay demands were not affordable<br />With prelim exams taking place in many schools, older pupils are being prioritised and younger pupils are being given the day off.<br /><br />The latest pay offer from the Scottish government was formally rejected last Wednesday.<br /><br />Unions were offered a rise of between 5% and 6.85% but the EIS is asking for 10%.<br /><br />On Tuesday the NASUWT said it was seeking a fully funded rise of 12% for 2022/23.<br /><br />It said that a typical teacher in Scotland is almost £50,000 worse off as a result of their pay failing to keep pace with inflation since 2010, a loss they say will be further compounded by the current below-inflation pay offer.<br /><br /><br />The union also confirmed that following this week's strikes, members would begin a programme of ongoing action, including a refusal to cover for absent colleagues and attendance at only one meeting per week outside pupil sessions.<br /><br />Dr Patrick Roach, the union's general secretary, said: "This is first time members in Scotland have taken national strike action in over a decade.<br /><br />
