STRIKE KIDS EXAM FEAR
Education Secretary under fire as industrial action is set to continue
Pupils at schools affected by targeted teacher strikes could have missed days taken into account in Higher and National 5 results.
We can reveal Scotland’s exams authority the SQA has identified affected schools and is considering “steps to support learners”.
Teaching Union the EIS is locked in a bitter pay dispute with the Government and last week began targeting schools in the constituencies of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney.
Pupils in areas represented by Education Secretary ShirleyAnne Somerville, Greens MSP Ross Greer and Cosla’s Katie Hagmann are also set to miss six more days of school than other children during the period before exams.
Some of the schools affected are in areas of high depravation, meaning children could be at a huge added disadvantage to those in more affluent areas.
In total, pupils are set to miss at least two weeks of classes.
An SQA spokeswoman said: “We fully understand the concerns of learners, parents and carers around industrial action and its potential impact on learning and teaching.
“The dispute is a matter between teaching unions, Cosla and the Scottish Government , and our sincere hope is that it is resolved soon in the interests of learners.
“As the Scottish Government has made clear, it is leading contingency planning and SQA is play ing its part in that.
“We have identi f ied the schools affected by t he targeted industrial action and we are working with the Scottish Government and the appropriate local authorities to understand the impact of the action on their schools and exploring what further steps can be taken to support learners.” Labour educat ion spokesperson Michael Marra has led calls for the disruption to be taken into account in exam marking and wrote to the SQA demanding action. He said: “After two weeks’ silence, a response to my urgent letter was only prompted by the Sunday Mail contacting the SQA.
“Targeted strikes have already begun but pupils and parents remain in the dark as to what measures will be taken to ensure fairness.
“There is no clarity on whether addit ional lost learning through local strikes will result in special circumstance access to an enhanced appeals process.
“That answer should be provided immediately. The SQA must ensure pupils losing more education do not lose out on the grades they deserve.
Scot t ish Conservat ive shadow cabinet secretary for education Stephen Kerr MSP also raised concerns and blamed the Government for the disruption to education.
He said: “It is a crying shame that children in these specific areas have suffered further disruption to their learning as a result of ShirleyAnne Somerville’s inaction.
“These strikes are a mess of the Education Secretary’s making and, if we are to avoid children’s prospects being damaged during their exams, then Shirley- Anne Somerville must finally resolve this dispute.”