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Scottish teachers move closer to strike action amid safety concerns

S5 and S6 pupils at St Columba's High School in Gourock, Inverclyde, wear protective face masks during their history lesson - PA
S5 and S6 pupils at St Columba's High School in Gourock, Inverclyde, wear protective face masks during their history lesson - PA

Teachers in Scotland moved closer to strike action on Monday as a survey revealed that two thirds would back walking out of classrooms due to safety fears.

Fewer than one-third of teachers currently feel safe from Covid-19 infections in schools, according to a major survey by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), Scotland’s largest teaching union.

The survey, which was designed to gauge teachers’ views on whether schools should remain fully open, the effectiveness of Covid safety procedures and their willingness to strike, found that a clear majority would be willing to support strike action after a failure to move to blended learning in higher risk (Level 4) areas.

While legal restrictions by the UK Government imposed on ballots mean that a ballot to strike could not be turned around during current Level 4 restrictions, due to expire on December 11, it is understood that local EIS branches can conduct ballots in preparation for any future Level 4 phase.

Despite the majority of teachers (64 per cent) supporting the Scottish Government decision to prioritise keeping schools open where possible, there is strong support (51 per cent) for remote learning to be introduced in Level 4 areas on safety grounds.

At Level 3, there is “clear support” (86 per cent) for schools remaining open, although just under half (48 per cent) of respondents believe this should be on a blended learning model to enable physical distancing.

It comes as a separate survey of over 700 teachers across Scotland by teachers’ union NASUWT revealed there are “serious concerns” about the health and safety measures in place in schools, with only a quarter of respondents feeling that Covid control measures are adequate. 

The findings also laid bare the extent of outbreaks in schools: 67 per cent reported that pupils in their school have displayed symptoms of Covid-19, with just over half (51 per cent) saying that classes or year groups had been sent home because of suspected or confirmed cases of the virus. A further 57 per cent said staff in their school have displayed Covid symptoms.

The findings have prompted opposition parties to brand the SNP’s handling of managing the virus in schools as a “complete failure”, with calls to roll out mass testing.

“The answer to this is not strikes or industrial action, a move which will only harm the education of our young people even more than what they’ve endured already,” said Scottish Conservative Shadow Education Spokesman Jamie Greene.

“The answer lies in mass staff testing, more teachers and better support for those isolating at home. Each of those in their own right are a complete failure of this SNP Government to date.”

Larry Flanagan, EIS General Secretary, said: “These survey findings confirm that the majority of Scotland’s teachers want to be in school working with pupils, and support the aim of keeping schools open where possible.

“Despite this, however, it is clear that a significant number of teachers do not feel safe working in schools under the existing arrangements.”

Mr Flanagan said that while members hold a “range of opinions” on the best means of keeping teachers and pupils safe, there is “clear support for moving to industrial action in higher risk areas to protest where teachers feel that measures required to keep schools safe have not been delivered.”

“The EIS has repeatedly said that schools remaining operational cannot come at the expense of teacher and pupil wellbeing,” he added. “For Level 4 restrictions to be as effective as we would wish them to be, short term closure or part closure of schools need to be considered.”

Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary John Swinney said that he is "concerned" that teachers do not feel safe in schools.

“On testing, we have already put in place arrangements to allow members of school staff who are concerned to get a test whether or not they have symptoms. We are making plans, informed by clinical advice, to build on that which will potentially include piloting and rolling out in-school rapid testing of staff," he said.

“Extensive guidance is in place to reduce the risk of Covid-19 in schools, drawing on the latest public health and scientific advice, with enhanced risk mitigations in Level 3 and Level 4 areas to protect clinically vulnerable staff and pupils.

"Guidance makes clear that remote learning remains an important contingency at all levels of the strategic framework where required for public health or safety reasons in specific schools – and local authorities and schools have already implemented those contingencies in some areas for public health reasons.

“I am keen that we continue dialogue to ensure that we address as far as possible the anxiety that I know many school staff are feeling as we move into the winter period.”