Today, the nation’s largest teachers’ union will announce if it wants to strike despite concerns that walkouts may endanger vulnerable children.
After polling 300,000 members, leaders of the National Education Union (NEU) are scheduled to announce if teachers across the country would engage in strike action.
However, the Children’s Commissioner has warned that a walkout might harm students who are still healing from the pandemic’s effects.
Dame Rachel de Souza stated that youngsters “cannot afford” to have additional class time allotted just as they are returning to school after Covid shutdown.
It comes as Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union members begin 16 days of rolling strike action on Monday, with teachers in two of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas walking out daily until February 6.
Teachers demonstrate in front of Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow, Scotland, on January 16, 2023.
Teachers on strike in front of Pinkie St Peter’s Primary School in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
Dame Rachel de Souza wrote in The Sunday Telegraph, “As we face the possibility of teacher strikes in England, I feel more strongly than ever that this is the wrong course of action.”
It is detrimental to the children’s outcomes. It will derail their education just when they are regaining momentum. And it can put certain children at risk, especially those for whom school provides safety from other life challenges.’
Many schools are scrambling to find math and chemistry specialists as a result of compensation and staffing difficulties, which have led to the conflict.
Andrea Bradley, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), joins teachers on a picket line outside Hillhead High School on January 16, 2023 in Glasgow.
Teachers are protesting salary with posters reading “Pay Attention.”
The NEU demands a fully-funded, above-inflation wage increase for teachers and support personnel, as well as meaningful action regarding the remuneration of supply teachers and other educators.
The school leaders’ union NAHT, which surveyed 25,500 members, is also set to release its first election results in its 125-year history today.
In order for ballots to be valid, a minimum of fifty percent of eligible voters must participate and forty percent of eligible voters must vote “yes.”
It has been suggested that successful mandates could result in a mix of national and regional strikes beginning in February.
It comes after the teaching union NASUWT’s strike ambitions were humiliatingly dashed on Friday, when it failed to meet the required voter turnout.
Only 42% of the primary and secondary school employees polled by the union participated in the vote, which was termed by MPs as a “victory for parents and students.”
However, although state school employees cannot engage in industrial action, 125 independent schools in England and 7 independent schools in Wales have authorized strikes.
The Department of Education will shortly publish recommendations for schools regarding how to minimize the impact of strikes on students.
Members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) have staged the nation’s first strike over salary in nearly four decades.
Children in Scotland will miss extra school days after a union declared 22 additional days of strikes in the ongoing pay dispute.
Pay protesting teachers on the picket line outside Pinkie St Peters Primary School in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
Principals will be pushed to keep schools open for as many students as possible, with priority given to pupils from disadvantaged households.
Downing Street has encouraged teachers not to strike and cause “substantial harm” to the education of youngsters.
The official spokesman for the Prime Minister stated, ‘We would continue to urge teachers not to strike, as we are aware of the substantial harm inflicted to children’s education during the pandemic and do not wish to see it repeated.
We hope they will continue to discuss their issues with us rather than pull children out of school.
In Scotland, children will miss additional school days after a union declared 22 additional days of strikes in the ongoing pay dispute.
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said on Friday that the newly planned strike days are in addition to the already announced 16-day rolling strike action, which is scheduled to begin on Monday in schools across the country.
The EIS Executive Committee met on Friday and agreed to two days of strikes in all schools and industries on February 28 and March 1, followed by 20 days of rolling strikes between March 13 and April 21.
Nicola Sturgeon has stated that there must be “compromise on both sides” for a settlement to be reached that will end the strike by teachers in Scotland.
The First Minister of Scotland issued a statement as industrial action continued to close schools north of the border.
At a conference for media in Edinburgh, Ms. Sturgeon said, “Of course, I am concerned about industrial action in our schools, because I don’t want to see that impact on young people and I don’t want teachers to have to take industrial action.”
However, she added that her Scottish Government was “not a government that simply digs in its heels in industrial disputes,” citing negotiations that have thus far avoided strikes by NHS employees north of the border as evidence.
Ms. Sturgeon stated, “We are a government that seeks to resolve disputes, a government that strives to treat public sector employees as fairly as possible, to maximize pay increases within our means, and to prevent industrial action.”
She said ministers were ready and eager to continue discussions with teachers’ leaders, but added, ‘As we see in the NHS, it does require compromise on both sides.’ I hope that a compromise may be reached on all sides.
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