Members of Scotland’s largest teaching union have voted to reject the latest pay deal bringing the prospect of school strikes a significant step closer.

The vote by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) to reject the offer from the Scottish Government and councils means the union is likely to move to an immediate statutory ballot for industrial action.

That means disruption could hit primary and secondary schools as early as April.

Turnout in the ballot was 81 per cent, with 57 per cent voting to reject the offer and 43 per cent for acceptance.

The EIS executive committee, which meets tomorrow, will consider the result and approve the next steps to be taken in the campaign.

Read more: How likely are school strikes?

Larry Flanagan, the union's general secretary, said members had voted by a very clear majority to reject the pay offer.

He said: "Members have also expressed their willingness to move to a ballot for industrial action in pursuit of an improved pay settlement for Scotland’s teaching professionals.

"Although this was not a strike ballot, both the turnout and the number indicating a willingness to move to industrial action would have exceeded the strict thresholds set by the UK government in its restrictive Trade Union Act.

"The EIS remains open to further negotiations within the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, but failing an improved offer, we will be initiating the process towards strike action.” 

There had been hope for the Scottish Government earlier in the day after members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association voted to accept the deal.

Read more: Unions threaten first ever strike at SQA

And earlier in the week unions representing primary headteachers also voted in favour.

However, because the EIS is by far the largest teaching union in Scotland - with more than 48,000 members compared to 9,000 for the SSTA - any industrial action it undertakes will cause significant disruption to schools.

Councils expressed disappointment at the rejection, with officials insisting privately no more money was available.

Gail Macgregor, resources spokeswoman for council umbrella body Cosla, said: “We absolutely value the education of our young people and throughout these negotiations have re-iterated the value we place on our teachers and the work that they do.

“That is why a very fair offer, at the absolute limits of what we could afford, was presented to our teachers and I am disappointed with today’s rejection.

“Industrial action in our schools is in nobody’s interests and it is for this reason we will continue to engage as positively as we can with Government and the trade unions.”

Iain Gray, education spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party, said the result came at a time when councils across the country had been forced to increase pressure on teachers with £230 million cuts to core funding. 

He said: "Nobody wants to see industrial action in our schools, but this is a result of the SNP's mismanagement over the years and a failure to listen to legitimate concern of teachers over the erosion of pay and the increase in workload.

"John Swinney needs to start listening to teachers and come up with an acceptable offer which shows he really does value them and that education actually is this government's top priority."

Tavish Scott, education spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, urged Mr Swinney to recognise the wider pressures on teachers.

He said: "This is not just about pay. It is about the reality of classrooms the length and breadth of Scotland.

"That is why I have long argued for a full independent review of teachers’ terms, conditions and the demands placed upon them.

"That is what worked successfully in the early 2000s when the McCrone Commission reformed teacher pay and conditions. It would be a constructive way forward and I urge the government to instigate McCrone2.”

The latest pay offer from the Scottish Government and Cosla was three per cent from April last year with a further three per cent from January this year, an additional three per cent in April and another three per cent in April next year.

In recognition of concern over problems in the recruitment and retention of teachers Cosla has also agreed to back a restructuring of wider pay scales and took at pay for promoted teachers.

However, teaching unions had campaigned for an immediate 10 per cent rise for all staff arguing salaries have fallen behind over the past decade.