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Andrea Bradley named next EIS general secretary, becoming first woman to take on role

Andrea Bradley has been named as the Educational Institute in Scotland's (EIS) next general secretary. 
Andrea Bradley has been named as the Educational Institute in Scotland's (EIS) next general secretary.

A Scottish teaching union has elected a woman as its general secretary for the first time in its 175-year history.

Andrea Bradley has been named as the Educational Institute in Scotland's (EIS) next general secretary.

Ms Bradley, who has been EIS assistant secretary for seven years, will succeed Larry Flanagan and take on the top post in the summer.

She said: "I am honoured to be chosen as the next general secretary of the EIS, and I look forward to assuming my post in the near future.

"I do not underestimate the challenges that the post of general secretary will present, but I intend to face these head-on."

The future general secretary committed to prioritising "securing a fair pay settlement for Scotland's teaching professionals".

Having acquired a post-gradute diploma in education, Ms Bradley began teaching English in 1995 in Inverclyde.

Before joining the EIS as a national officer in 2014, she was a principal teacher of English in South Lanarkshire.

EIS president Heather Hughes said: "I am delighted that Andrea Bradley has been elected as the next general secretary of the EIS, becoming the first woman to be chosen as the top official of Scotland's largest teaching union.

"Andrea brings vast experience of Scottish education, and a strong commitment to trade unionism, to the role.

"Scotland's teachers could not hope for a better appointment, and I look forward to working with Andrea to promote the interests of Scottish education and Scotland's teaching professionals."

Ms Bradley was instrumental in establishing and running the PACT project – a rare joint education union-government initiative which provides vital anti-poverty professional learning for teachers.