Schools and nurseries set to close for three days as strikes loom

By Garrett Stell

August 30 2022, 5:12 pm

Council nurseries in Aberdeenshire are the first confirmed blanket closures caused by the strike.

Children and families are set for a turbulent September with all Aberdeenshire nurseries set to close for three days due to strike action.

And further union activity threatens to close more schools and delay SQA appeals.

Aberdeenshire Council’s head of education said that all council-run early years settings would close during three days of strike action on September 6, 7 and 8.

He added that individual head teachers will determine what’s best at primary and secondary schools. As of Tuesday afternoon, Balmedie School had already confirmed it would close on all three days.

Meanwhile, officials in Orkney have warned that some schools are likely to close during the same period. The council there has advised parents to make alternative child care arrangements on those days.

And the Unite union has confirmed that its Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) members have voted to strike in September, threatening the timely delivery of up to 22,000 exam appeals.

What school staff are striking?

Teachers aren’t participating in the September strikes that include school staff, which is part of a larger ongoing strike by waste and recycling workers.

The unions GMB and Unison represent workers including school catering staff, cleaners, caretakers, teaching assistants and early years practitioners.

Their members in Aberdeenshire and Orkney voted to strike earlier this month. Repeated negotiations between the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and the unions failed to reach a new pay agreement.

Nurseries to close in Aberdeenshire

While councils work to build a strategy for each individual setting, several schools wrote to parents on Tuesday saying that “all council-run early years settings will close on September 6, 7, and 8, as it is not possible to guarantee that enough staff would be available.”

The letters, seen by the P&J, added that the requirement for higher adult to child ratios in nurseries meant that it would have been difficult to meet health and safety requirements during the strike.

Aberdeenshire head of education Vincent Docherty said the strike will affect schools to a varying degree and more announcements will follow.

He confirmed that all nurseries will be closed during the three days.

“Head teachers are making decisions around whether it is safe and practical for their schools to remain open at a local level and are in the process of advising parents and carers.

“What is known at this time is that all council-run early years and childcare settings will close on these dates, and the majority of school lets will be cancelled.”

Orkney schools braced for impact

Although they haven’t confirmed any closures, education officers in Orkney are expecting some schools to close during the three days in September.

James Wylie, the council’s director of education, leisure and housing, said that student and staff safety is the main concern. He told parents on Tuesday that they should make contingency plans for the three days in September.

Orkney education boss discusses the end of masks in schools — Executive director of education, leisure and housing for Orkney Islands Council James Wylie has told parents to expect school closures on days when staff are striking in September. Supplied by Orkney Islands Council

The council is keeping in contact with union representatives and checking staffing at each school, he added.

“As soon as we have a clear picture that ensures, first and foremost, the health and wellbeing of all our pupils and staff we will release the list of schools and nurseries affected if the strike action goes ahead.

“Our advice remains to plan for closure and therefore have a contingency plan in place for childcare over these three days.”

Exam appeals also facing strike disruption

School and nursery closures and rubbish pile-ups aren’t the only concern for parents and students in September. In a separate industrial action, members of the Unite union who work for the SQA voted to strike on three days in September – the 8th, 15th and 16th.

The SQA will confirm priority appeal results on September 6. But the union said that the strike will “severely delay” up to 22,000 regular appeals.

Over the summer, members rejected a pay offer that would have amounted to between 1.7 and 4%, depending on job grading. Members cited questions over the future of the soon-to-be-scrapped SQA and job security among other reasons for the strike.