Founded in 1847, The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) is the oldest teaching union in the world.
Today the Institute has over 59,000 members, representing over 80% of teachers in Scotland, working in Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special Education, right through to Further and Higher Education.
The EIS, as the biggest Scottish teaching union, has a firm commitment to quality education provision for all young people. Through a century and a half of existence the EIS has developed a central role as one of the most respected voices in education in Scotland . The EIS has strong policies for all stages of education- from nursery, primary, secondary and special through to further and higher education.

1847-2007

1847 Founding of the Educational Institute of Scotland ....."for the purpose of promoting sound learning and of advancing the interests of education in Scotland".
1851 Queen Victoria granted a Royal Charter to the EIS. Membership at the time: over 1,800. Among the powers conferred on the EIS was the power to award a degree of "Fellow of the Institute". In 2007, the EIS remains the only trade union which awards degrees.
1900 Increasingly the EIS became involved in matters of pay and conditions of service.
1917 Other small teaching organisations joined the EIS..
1918 National minimum salaries scale for teachers came into operation.
1939 National Joint Council formed. This was the first time that the EIS had been able to negotiate pay and conditions of service on a national level.
1971 The EIS became affiliated to the Scottish Trades Union Congress.
1976 A further education section was established within the EIS.
1977 The EIS became affiliated to the Trades Union Congress.
1982 The Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee (SJNC) became the national forum for negotiations of pay and conditions of service.
1985 Lecturers in Central Institutions joined the EIS.
1987 The EIS set up a political fund, not for party political purposes, but to protect the ability of the EIS to campaign and to challenge politicians and political decisions.
1988 Lecturers in Colleges of Education joined the EIS.
1994 The AGM approved a new structure and constitution for the EIS and also the setting up of area offices for the first time.
1999 The setting up of the Scottish Parliament, a move long supported by the EIS.
2002 First partnership with a university (University of Paisley) for the delivery of CPD to teachers.
2003 First EIS Learning Representatives appointed. Members of the Scottish Further and Higher Education Association join the EIS and a new Self Governing Association (EIS-FELA) is born.
2005 First Chartered Teachers emerge from the partnership with the University of Paisley.
2007 Membership stands at around 60,000.

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