Education Secretary Gillian Keegan
(Picture: PA Wire)A Cabinet minister on Thursday urged teachers not to strike and hit children’s education which suffered so much during the Covid pandemic.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan stressed the Government did not want to see any of the extra support given to pupils to “catch up” on their education after schools were closed during lockdowns now being “lost” by industrial action.
She issued the appeal as teaching unions were balloting members on walkouts, and as teachers in Scotland go on strike for a second day. NASUWT Scotland and the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) have downed tools over what they say was a “divisive and inadequate” pay offer.
Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) members working in schools went on strike last week, closing the majority of schools across Scotland.
Ms Keegan told Times Radio: “Teachers are balloting at the moment but our children have missed enough education through the pandemic.
“So, we are very much hoping that the £2 billion settlement, which is actually £2 billion each year for the next two years, is actually what the unions were calling for...we are hoping that is enough.”
She also emphasised that the Government had accepted “in full” the independent recommendations on teachers’ pay.
“They are between five per cent and 8.9 per cent dependent on whether you are an experienced teacher or a new teacher,” she added.
“So, we have tried out very best to meet all of their requirements.”
She also thanked teachers, stressing: “Every day, they are really working hard to help our children catch up.
“We would not want to see any of that lost.”
If teachers go on strike, they would join rail and postal workers, border staff, as well as nurses, ambulance crews, civil servants, with firefighters also considering walk-outs in what could effectively amount to a general strike this winter.
Rishi Sunak has pledged “tough” new action to protect people from the impact of strikes, which could lead to new restrictions on walk-outs by the emergency services.
