Classrooms in Scotland are empty again today as a result of the latest round of teaching strikes. Throughout February and March, some Scottish school pupils – including myself – will lose eight days of education, a stark contrast to the national average of two. The tactic of targeted strike action is being deployed Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), to target high-profile politicians. But students are feeling the pressure too.
One of the areas affected is Nicola Sturgeon’s own constituency – Glasgow Southside – which is home to the largest school in Scotland, as well as a school caring for pupils with learning difficulties. While targeting Sturgeon is logical, many vulnerable students from some of the most deprived parts of the country are watching their schooling fall apart, helpless in the face of the union action. More EIS strikes are predicted for next week. All we want – and plead for – is to get back to the classroom.
My generation are the ‘Covid teens’: those forced to learn at home during the pandemic.
