TRADE union opposition to a 30 per cent increase in the registration fee paid by teachers has backfired after it emerged that the same organisation’s members pushed through the hike.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) blasted the rise by an independent watchdog as “unacceptably high”, but it can now be revealed that over half the members on the body are teachers, most of whom are in the union.

All teachers are required to pay an annual registration fee to be eligible to teach in a state school north of the border.

The amount is set by the independent General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) – the official regulatory body – and is currently £50 a year.

However, the GTCS attracted criticism recently after its decision-making Council ramped up the fee to £65.

Larry Flanagan, the general secretary of the EIS, which has over 55,000 members, released an angry statement condemning the rise.

"The EIS," it said "believes that an increase of 30 per cent in GTCS fees is unacceptably high, especially at a time when teachers’ pay has been declining in real terms. We are aware that the GTCS has significant cash reserves and we believe that it should be seeking to use this money to reduce any fee increase.”

He added: "Whilst the EIS values the work of the GTCS, and its independence from Government, this increase will leave many teachers frustrated and angry.

"The EIS will be raising this matter directly with the GTCS, and I have written to the Chief Executive of the GTCS to highlight the concerns raised at today’s EIS Executive meeting."

The same statement encouraged teachers to contact the GTCS and a motion was passed by the union stepping up the criticism.

However, the EIS press release did not mention the make-up of the GTCS Council.

Of its 37 members, 19 are teachers and 13 of them are EIS members. The teacher section of the Council is elected and the union sponsors candidates for a place on the watchdog.

It is also understood the fee rise was approved unanimously and no vote was taken.

A union source said: “Before Larry Flanagan intervened, he might have had a word with his own members. Teachers approved the rise for teachers.”

Scottish Tory MSP Liz Smith said: “The EIS have been vocal in their opposition to this fee increase, yet it seems as if their members on the GTCS board haven’t got the message.

“If they were truly against this change then surely one of their members would have voiced their opinion on it, rather than letting it pass through unanimously.”

An EIS spokesman said: “As we understand it a number of concerns were expressed within the GTCS about the scale of the rise over various meetings, although the minute does appear to have been approved without dissension in the end.

“Teacher members of the Council are not mandated by their professional associations, however, and the EIS respects the right of Council members to arrive at their own decisions.

“The EIS has raised its objection to the 30 per cent GTCS fee increase, following a large number of concerns raised by individual EIS members and by elected EIS committees and EIS Council. This should not be misrepresented as a criticism of any individual GTCS Council members.”

A GTCS spokesperson said: "The make-up of our Council is set down in the Scottish Parliament legislation that created an independent GTCS in 2012.

‘It is important, of course, that the teaching profession is represented on its regulatory body board and we have an inbuilt teacher majority to reflect that. There are a range of practising teachers and other education professionals who give valuable input from their knowledge of the profession.

“We have strong working relationships with the trade unions as we do with other stakeholder organisations and we listen to their feedback, as we will do with this most recent issue of the fee increase.”