Teachers are on strike again. This has been a long running dispute for many reasons including better pay and better working conditions involving members of the National Education Union, Association of School and College Leaders and National Association of Headteachers.
What effect does this have on students? Students lose out on valuable lesson time which will not be made up. Children may miss out on food, with some families not able to provide three meals a day and hot food, which schools are able to provide, and could result in students going hungry. For students doing exams, although they are still able to go into school as a priority, the same quality and level of teaching as they usually would receive may not be in place and could potentially harm learning and results.
Another significant issue which has arisen from the strikes is childcare. Many parents work until their child is out of school, but with teachers striking it means that many families have to make arrangements or potentially miss work for many days due to these strikes. This is especially important for children who are too young to be at home and care for themselves.
The strike action has affected many pupils in my year 12. One pupil Louie Tarrant said “I don’t disagree with what they are campaigning for but I feel that the students shouldn’t be punished for the lack of pay”.
The strikes come on the back of disruption caused during the pandemic, affecting the same group of students. Is there not another way?
