Secondary schools across North Lanarkshire are issuing individual updates to pupils and families about the impact of Wednesday’s industrial action, with some year groups and classes to be asked to stay home.
Members of the SSTA and NASUWT are going on strike in a pay dispute, with the number of staff in each of the unions in individual schools determining the scale of impact.
Certain schools are understood to be asking pupils in the youngest year groups not to attend school on Wednesday, but to complete online learning at home.
North Lanarkshire officials confirmed that all of its learning establishments will be open on the December 7 strike day, but that “each has a different plan in place because the number of teachers taking strike action varies”.
Families are being contacted by each secondary school to advise of the impact after work to assess their capacity during the action, and “will be in contact directly regarding online learning for pupils where appropriate”.
Unaffected schools are also confirming their normal opening plans to families; and education officials say that school transport will run as normal for non-impacted schools and that “if there is any impact on transport for schools affected by industrial action, [families] will be informed by your school directly”.
A council spokesperson told Lanarkshire Live: “All early years facilities, nursery classes, primary, secondary and additional support needs schools will be open to pupils on Wednesday, December 7.
“However, because the number of teachers taking strike action varies from school to school, there are whole year groups and individual classes in some schools that will be affected.
“Those schools will be in touch directly with parents and carers with information on the impact to the school day. All schools will be open as normal on Thursday, December 8.”
Members of the two unions are staging targeted strikes in both North and South Lanarkshire plus 15 other council areas on Wednesday, while similar action will then take place in Scotland’s other 15 local authorities on Thursday.
SSTA president Catherine Nicol said members felt they “had no option” following “the failure of Cosla and the Scottish Government to make an improved pay offer”, and general secretary Seamus Searson added that the action “is intended to send a clear message to Cosla and the Scottish Government that teachers are serious about a fair pay deal”.
Meanwhile, members of the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, are planning industrial action in primary and secondary schools respectively on January 10 and 11, followed by further strikes in North Lanarkshire on January 19 and South Lanarkshire on February 3.
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