Commuters get on a bus at Waterloo station in London in the aftermath of a Tube strike in March
(Picture: PA)A London headteacher on Thursday criticised a teachers’ union leader for supporting rail strikes that threaten to disrupt A-Level and GCSE exams.
Clare Wagner, head of Henrietta Barnett school in Hampstead Garden Suburb, said she is “extremely worried” about the impact of the walkouts and “very surprised” that Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has “come out in support of the rail workers.”
Mr Courtney retweeted a Trades Union Congress tweet saying “We stand with rail workers” on June 12.
Before the dates of the strikes had been announced, on May 25, Mr Courtney tweeted: “Solidarity to RMT members. Working people need pay rises and are right to fight for them.”
Mrs Wagner said: “It is strange to see him showing solidarity to rail workers rather than showing concern for children taking exams for which they have spent the last two years, much of which was in lockdown, preparing.”
Industrial action is set to take place on the rail and Tube network on Tuesday when exams include A-Level maths, religious studies and German, and GCSE history, and June 23 on rail services, when exams include A-Level chemistry and GCSE physics, as well as on June 25.
Mrs Wagner added: “I am extremely worried about the forthcoming Tube and train strikes and the impact they will have on students taking public exams.
Many of my students and staff rely entirely both on the tube and on trains in order to get to school.
“School pupils have experienced so many difficulties due to Covid. Current Year 13 pupils who are due to take their A Levels, were the cohort whose GCSEs were cancelled in March 2020.
“I simply do not understand why Tube and train drivers would want to jeopardise the futures of these young people. Year 13 students have university and apprenticeship offers dependent upon their performance in these exams.”
Mr Courtney said: “Working people deserve a pay rise and job security at work. This includes rail workers as well as education staff. No one welcomes disruption, and workers never easily vote for strike action, but there are two sides that could avoid strike action next week. The employer can and should meet the RMT demands. The Government should support them in doing that.”
Asked if he was concerned that pupils would have their exams disrupted he said: “Of course - and exam boards should do all they can to mitigate that disruption as will school staff.
“Most schools will have alerted pupils to the strike and sent advice telling them and parents to ensure they leave in good time and work out alternative routes. Heads, teachers and school staff have supported all students throughout the pandemic and continue to do so.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab today condemned the rail strikes as “irresponsible.”
RMT leader Mick Lynch has claimed the Treasury is “calling the shots” over negotiations and is not allowing rail employers to reach a negotiated settlement with the union.
He said: “In effect in recent weeks the union has been negotiating with the government, but the government have not been in the room.”
