STRIKES which have seen schools close across Scotland could see teachers walkout during the SQA spring exam diet.

Unions have demanded a 10 per cent pay rise for members, but Holyrood has ruled this out as unaffordable, instead offering a 5 per cent increase.

Education secretary and Dunfermline MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville told the BBC on Sunday that the two sides were still "some way apart", despite warnings that assessments could be hit with disruption for the third time in the last four years, with COVID restrictions present in 2020 and 2021.

Asked if she could guarantee the exam period wouldn't be impacted, she told The Sunday Show: "I don't think it should and I think that's very much up to the trade unions.

"One of the aspects which I'm very, very determined to ensure is that children and young people have very limited disruption to their education going forward - exams is a critical part of that.

"I would hope that everyone involved in this dispute would be able to agree that we do not want to see exams disrupted."

She said the Scottish Government was working on contingency planning if the strikes impact the exam period.

"I would like to think, for the benefits of children and young people and parents across the country, that it wouldn't be too difficult for trade unions to say 'no, we absolutely respect children's rights to be able to carry out their exams and not have any threat hanging over them'," she said.

"However, I would say, we can ensure that those contingencies are not required by the trade unions simply stating that yes, they'll carry on strike action, they may carry on action short of a strike, but what they would not do is do anything to threaten exams, and that just takes away the worry."

Des Morris, the salaries convener for the EIS teaching union, says there had been little movement from Government and councils since the 5 per cent pay offer was made.

He said it was "becoming increasingly difficult" to reconcile public statements from ministers with what is happening in negotiations.

"Over the course of January we've heard a number of statements such as 'no stone being left unturned' to find a resolution, offering to 'look at all options', statements that 'there have to be compromises on both sides', that Scottish Government is not 'digging in its heels'," he told the same programme.

"But these statements have all culminated in our January 20 pay meeting - the last pay meeting that was held - when basically the message was: 'Teachers, see that 5% offer we offered you six months ago? Take it or leave it'.

"If that's not digging your heels in, then I really don't know what is."

Mr Morris added that there had been a "complete lack of urgency" from the Scottish Government and council umbrella body Cosla.

He couldn't confirm whether strikes would affect pupils sitting exams, but added that the EIS executive committee keeps its industrial action plans "under constant review".

The union has announced a further two days of national strike action in all schools and sectors on February 28 and March 1, followed by a rolling programme of strikes for 20 days between March 13 and April 21.

Fife MSP Alex Rowley has written to Ms Somerville raising concerns over the ongoing dispute, urging a settlement to be reached before the next round of action.

He said: "I wrote to the Cabinet Secretary about the pay dispute last year after teachers were offered an insulting real-terms pay cut despite the incredible work they have been doing for our children through a period of intense upheaval.

"The failure by the Scottish Government and COSLA to offer teachers a fair pay settlement in recognition of the work they do simply compounds the erosion in the value of teachers’ salaries at a time when more and more was being asked of our teachers.

"This is at the same time of increased cost-of-living pressures and against a backdrop of a real-terms deterioration in the value of teachers’ pay since 2010.

"Across Fife parents tell me of their worry of the impact of Covid on their children’s education so to now compound those fears with more days lost is just unacceptable and is why I am calling on Shirley Anne Somerville to do her job and find a resolution to this dispute before more damage is done."

He continued: "The Education Secretary seems to be deluding herself that she is not responsible, so I am calling for her to do her job or move on and let someone get the job that will take responsibility and find a solution to the strikes.

"We need urgent intervention and action by the Scottish Government to ensure the continued support of teachers in securing an education recovery which works for pupils and for the country as a whole.

"However, the Scottish Government have attempted to dismiss any responsibility in the dispute, hiding behind saying it is simply a matter ‘for local government, as the employer, to make any revised offer of pay’.

"Surely anyone will be asking if education is still the number one priority for the Scottish Government? It is clear a better offer is needing to be brought to the table to avert strike action.

"It is imperative that the Scottish Government and COSLA now bring a serious offer to teaching unions in recognition not only of the incredible hard work their members undertake, but also to mitigate the cost-of-living crisis that teaching staff are facing at the same time as record excessive workloads."