Schools out – and no homework
ONE in seven children at closed schools received no education yesterday, as the Government faced calls to crack down on the strike powers of unions.
Hundreds of thousands of pupils whose schools were closed were not given work to do at home, a survey of head teachers suggested. The majority of state schools in England and Wales were fully or partially closed because of strikes.
Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, said the action was “disappointing”. She had urged schools to do everything they could to keep classrooms open for children whose education has been blighted by disruption in the pandemic, including providing remote learning if face-to-face lessons weren’t feasible.
However, a poll of almost 1,000 head teachers by the Association of School and College Leaders found that one in seven schools that fully or partially closed did not provide work for pupils to complete at home.
Teachers’ industrial action was coordinated with walkouts by university staff, rail workers and civil servants to create one of the biggest strikes in a generation. The Department for Education said that 45 per cent of schools in England were closed to some pupils and a further 9.3 per cent were fully closed. The disruption was worst in secondary schools, where 83 per cent of which were closed to some or all pupils.
Parents had to take the day off work to look after children as head teachers decided to close schools in advance because of uncertainty about how many teachers would show up. Ministers are considering closing a loophole that allows teachers not to tell their bosses if they intend to strike. Under the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992, the National Education Union (NEU) must notify schools of how many teachers at each institution are members of the union.
However, head teachers cannot demand to know which members of staff these are, and members do not have to tell their bosses if they intend to strike. This meant that some schools told parents they would have to close.
Mrs Keegan said she had been “surprised” to learn that teachers were not required to give advance notice.
Downing Street said that the legal position would remain “under review”.
John O’connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “Hardworking parents still need to plan their day. Industrial action should come with clear guidelines on how it will impact households.”
Andrew Lewer, a Conservative MP who sits on the Education select committee, said: “The Secretary of State’s call for teachers to give forewarning before going out on strike is a sensible one and there is much merit in looking at legislating to this effect.”
Kevin Courtney, NEU joint general secretary, said: “We already have the most stringent trade union laws in Europe. These laws are designed to reduce the voice of working people at work. The NEU, along with the Trades Union Congress, will defend the rights of all workers to be able to exercise their right to strike, without intimidation.”