The boycott was due to have started next week following an 86% vote in favour by members of the Educational Institute of Scotland, which represents the vast majority of the country's teachers.

Helen Liddell: 'Reforms back on track'

The decision not to proceed followed a meeting between leaders of the institute and the education minister, Helen Liddell, which lasted for two hours on Tuesday evening.

There will be further discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, but Mrs Liddell said it meant the government's reforms were back on track and that courses for the new 'Higher Still' examinations would begin in August as intended.

Liaison

It is envisaged that a special liaison committee will settle difficulties at individual schools and outstanding concerns over certain subjects. The committee met for the first time on Monday but the union's representatives stayed away.

The institute's General Secretary, Ronnie Smith, had said before the meeting that his members wanted to ensure that conditions were right for the changes to be introduced.

The reforms aim to combine vocational courses with the current academic Higher subjects in a new modular system.

But teachers say that the greater emphasis on coursework and assessment within schools will mean an unacceptable increase in their workloads.

Mrs Liddell says she has done everything teachers have asked her to ease the introduction of changes.

But she said before the meeting that she was "prepared to listen".

The educational institute has issued a formal notice to local authorities and colleges that industrial action would begin next Tuesday.