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Aberdeenshire schools to remain open ‘where possible’ during Thursday’s strikes

Aberdeenshire Council has said it will keep schools open where possible. Image: DC Thomson Design.
Aberdeenshire Council has said it will keep schools open where possible. Image: DC Thomson Design.

Aberdeenshire Council has announced that schools will remain open “where possible” during strikes on Thursday, December 8.

However, they say due to the industrial action affecting each school in a different way, it could lead to the closure or partial closure of some schools.

A partial closure could mean that only S5 and S6 pupils will attend.

On November 24, teachers across Scotland walked out in their first strike of the pay dispute. 

All 17 secondary schools and 150 primary schools in Aberdeenshire were closed.

Teachers from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire at an EIS union rally on Thursday. Image: Kami Thomson / DC Thomson.

Aberdeenshire Council, like Highland, Aberdeen City, Moray, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute, had previously said it would close all primary and secondary schools during strikes.

Now strike action has been announced by the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) and National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).

Each Aberdeenshire school to ‘assess its own situation’

In a statement on social media, Aberdeenshire Council wrote: “We understand the uncertainty this brings to parents and carers.

“But each school will need to assess its own situation and will notify you directly in the next few days explaining how the planned strike action will affect them.”

Teachers from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are taking part in an EIS Union rally at the Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen. Image: Kami Thomson / DC Thomson

Strike action will not affect early learning centres or school groups and clubs that utilise school space.

Strikes to continue after unions reject pay offer

The strike action from the SSTA and NASUWT follows widespread walkouts by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and the Association of Head Teachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS) unions.

Negotiations between the unions and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) have not led to an agreement.

The unions are asking for a 10% pay rise, and have repeatedly rejected offers from the Scottish Government and Cosla.

On November 22, EIS leadership called the a 5% pay offer an “abject insult”. 

Last week, a further 16 days of strike action was agreed to take place in the new year.

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