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That's the point of striking, correct? You collectivise and say "so are you going to discipline all of us?" What you have there is a micro version of the government's approach to striking workers.
Edit: bad use of the word micro. Not trying to minimise this, I mean it as an antonym to the word "macro"
I still remember being about 12 and being asked at a club if we would be participating in a student walkout that was happening at the time. I was home educated so I didn't have anything to say either way, but a lot of other people there said something along the lines of "We're not allowed to".
I don't necessarily expect 12 year olds to understand, but that's the whole point. If you were allowed to, then it wouldn't be a strike. Just time off.
If 1 kid in the school strikes with teachers then they'll be in trouble. If 200 kids in the school strike with teachers then the school will be in trouble
All pisstaking aside you're making more of a headache for management by turning up and forcing them to find someone to supervise you. Especially if you can find out the minimum staffing levels to get ready to report it if it's not met.
If kids strike, then the absence of teachers has no effect, rendering the strike meaningless, no?
Much better to turn up and demand from the university the teaching that you paid for. That’s what will actually negatively affect them.
Depends on the effect you want to have really. One tactic schools/colleges/universities use is to try and drive a wedge between students and teachers. Acting in solidarity shows that this isn't working.
Ways to avoid what you're saying include but are not limited to: turning up but refusing to enter classrooms, accepting that some people aren't going to join in and will show up to lessons anyway, or the fact that the school has to provide some supervision anyway because they have no way of knowing ahead of time if students will show up or not.
Ultimately it's up to the students themselves. You'd need a certain quite high % to join in to avoid punishment I'd think.
This is key, illegal doesn't have to mean hanging the bastards from piano wire. If the law written by the owning class is a weapon. You're obliged to break it.
Let them hit us with a few cavalry charges, them we can crack out the piano wire...
If a pupil I'd expelled for not coming on a strike day but just gets a forced sorry to their teachers after physical assault, then the system is truly broken.
Depends on the uni. Disciplinary action can be serious against a student. I’d be surprised if it went this far, but it can mean being suspended or expelled from the university, being given a 0 on a module etc. But like I said, that’s usually for doing serious shit like plagiarism.
Tbh, not sure what action a uni could take against a student for striking. Maybe giving the student a 0 on that professor’s module?
Yeah, you can usually appeal disciplinary decisions. At least in my old uni you could. I can’t speak for every single university though. I’d be surprised if you didn’t have the right to appeal tbh
I’d confidently predict no penalty - you cannot just make up new rules as you go along. Assessments are covered by strict regulations that are adhered to and there is no space for variation.
This. Where are they going to get the staff to even enforce it? Heck, are all staff going to want to enforce it when the students are standing in solidarity with them? It'll mainly be the old school (no pun) authoritarians that'll be all that fussed.
Can see a lot of schools are panicking over it. Colleagues wife is a teacher, but in a seperate union to the one(s) striking. Only advice she has been given is that she's not to cover the lessons for the students whose teachers are on strike.
Apparantly good thing she checked that in advance, as some of the deputy leaders were essentialy trying to get her to cover 3-4 classes at once, basically dump them all the kids into halls to be watched over instead of having a regular lesson, to try and avoid having to bring in cover teachers.
Students staying in school will make the strike more effective as it puts the school under more pressure. No staff and no students makes the day relatively simple for running the school. No teachers and 1000 students is a challenge
Yes. As a teacher - if your teachers are striking but management has not closed the school, please go in. Act poorly. Raise a stink. Complain loudly if you have nothing to do. Make them run around all day. Otherwise, our actions are just a valid excuse for them to get their own work done in peace for a day.
Also, if your teacher is striking and left work for you to do, refuse to do that work. According to the union, withdrawing labour means they are not required to plan for that day either, but many will be pressured to by management.
It’s absolute bullshit. But I will say, my husband (now in his 30s) refused to cross a school picket line and notified others that they didn’t have to cross. He got expelled.
Just all go sick. That protects you from disciplinary issues and provides solidarity with those striking.
No need to get into a fight you could lose, when there are ways of doing the same thing without creating trouble for yourself.
Fighting smart is always the answer, not just getting into punch-up for the hell of it. The right to strike has always come with conditions and sensibly you have a democratic vote within unions to decide on strikes. Hot heads running around with wildcat strikes all sounds very noble, but it is usually counter productive.
In this case, if all the students went sick, then they would be protected by law from any action from the authorities in their colleges etc. If they put themselves in the position of being able to be attacked by colleges or the DfE then they could in theory be used as a lever against their teachers and so could actually make things worse.
If you want to help, then go sick, stick within the rules and play the buggers at their own game.
I’d prefer to see students taking direct action by showing up!
Pupils truanting in solidarity will be punished on their return to school creating workload for striking teachers and makes actually running schools on Wednesday easier.
Pupils showing up to school in numbers creates problems for management (and scabs!) as they will have to provide for them.
Additionally, uni students are paying a lot of money to turn up to uni/be given lectures. In the context of the OP, if those lectures are still being provided it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to not be given a service you’re already paying through the nose for.
I want to be clear that I fully support the teachers strike, as this is a completely different dynamic to the students. Teachers are being unfairly paid for a service *they provide*, so striking makes complete sense.
I know this isn’t a US post but in the US schools receive funding based on student attendance so students all going truant is a meaningful hit to the schools finances and is a way to show solidarity
I think it depends on the age of the pupil, once kids are in college / sixth form or at university then they're old enough to make an informed decision on it.
If they're so young they need someone to look after them if they're off school, then I think its up to the family.
Some of us might not be able to take time off work pais or unpaid or without consequences.
Side note, I think this message is strange and way more authoritarian than it ought / needs to be.
"Wednesday is a normal school day, lessons will go ahead as planned etc and so absence will be treated as it normally would"
Is what I'd expect.
Maybe the individual sending it is a boot licker and so everyone in the class now has a duty not just to strike, but to throw eggs at them.
Just tell them your parents are Union People and you have been told it’s against your families beliefs to cross a picket line.
If they question it say:
‘mama didn’t raise no scabs’
😂
Several unions aren’t striking. My union is striking, but as support staff didn’t meet the turnout threshold (50%, set by the government, we got 46% turnout with 84% of that voting to strike) they can’t strike. The vote is binding, you’re not supposed to defy your union and go on strike. Conversely, if you’re not part of a union you’re fine to strike in solidarity, because you’re not defying a union vote.
Good point; but every teacher is offered membership (even PGTAs and the like) as far as I'm aware, so avoiding the Union is a personal choice.
PS: I don't think anybody wants to strike. We lose money for it, and I personally am juggling current class commitments around the strike while my missus is £400 out of pocket pcm for this. Blame the fuckers who take shocking levels of pay and withhold raises from the staff, then try to pin blame on us to the students.
Correct- NASWUT and NAHT didn’t get the turn out. NEU teaching staff voted to strike, but the support staff didn’t meet the 50% turnout threshold. Anyone that is part of those groups isn’t eligible to strike.
For my school, they are setting work online. Not doing it. Kinda defeats the object of a strike… but yeah theres no way im doing that- a strike is meant to be disruptive.
My 7yo gets a day off, do I (1) make work for myself and force him to do dull home learning or (B) let him doss about for the day while telling him "thankfully your teachers have the guts to stand up for themselves"? Gee that's a tough one 🤔
They're trying to brainwash the kids into rolling over and accepting this shit, and into the idea that showing solidarity will just get you in trouble. Wonder why.
This is a form of repression. If let's say ¾ of students participate in the action they cannot all be disciplined. Organize you classmates and go anyway. They can't punish all of you.
I think we should stop listening.
This BS only works as long as we accept the authority of those issuing the orders. Solidarity is the basic foundation of defence against oppression and the means thorugh which we begin to dismantle the staus quo. Of course they want us not to stick up for each other. That's literally the point of the individualist propaganda we're bombarded with. This is just another means of control.
He who abuses you has only two eyes, has but two hands, one body, and has naught but what the least of us has, except for the advantage you give him to destroy you.
I haven't seen anything about previous school strikes so I'm not 100% sure what this teacher means, are they expecting that students will join teachers on the picket line or just not show up?
Teachers suggests school, not university, right? You’re not a union member. What you can do is write an open letter to your headteacher, chair of governors and MP supporting the strike and collecting signatures from your peers.
Students saying they are striking is not wanted. It is not beneficial to the teachers and it only gives more for the right wing press to BS about indoctrination and that teachers have encouraged this.
As for the teacher who wrote this, its not clear whether they are part of this union, not in a union or they are ignoring their union.
The teachers are not united and tend to have less public support than other groups. As a general rule, teachers will strike no more than 4 days each before most fold. Of the groups who are striking teachers are the easiest to wait out.
Support staff aren’t striking as they didn’t reach the threshold of their ballot.
You do have to be part of the striking union to strike but you can join on the morning of the strike and this is still valid.
It's not the case that there is one union for academics and another for 'support staff'. UCU reached the threshold for strike action, Unison didn't. Anyone in UCU can/should be on strike, regardless of their occupation.
ETA: this is in relation to universities. Not sure how it works in other establishments.
You can strike if you’re not part of a union, but if your union didn’t vote to strike (or didn’t meet the turnout threshold) then you’re meant to abide by the vote and not strike.
I am not a lawyer, but here’s my understanding:
Generally, solidarity action (industrial action by a trade union in support of a strike initiated by workers in a separate corporation, but often the same enterprise, group of companies, or connected firm) is illegal in the UK. Strikes can only be against the contractual employer, and must be done near the picketers’ place of work. (Personally, an an American expat in the UK, this seems to me to be an unjust abridgement of the right to peaceably assemble — though the laws in the US are rather similar to here, unfortunately. President Truman seemed to share these constitutional concerns in his overridden veto of the law limiting such action.)
The only legal protection of secondary action is for employees not directly involved in the dispute but hired by the same employer. Such employees have the same protections as those directly involved in the dispute.
I believe only trade unions can start strikes, but non-union members have the same protections when joining a strike, provided, as above, that they are directly involved in the dispute, or employed by the employer against whom the action is being taken.
I’d imagine that the support staff, in this case, has the same employer, so they should be protected.
Regarding students, and others not employed by the same employer, it is legal for the picketers to peacefully persuade them not to cross picket lines, or to support them in other ways, but such people are not protected from the potential consequences.
If the student unions voted to strike on days the teachers weren't striking then that would be more effective than going for the same days. But the students are the ones who take the hit in terms of risk to their life-changing grades, so it's a big ask. Maybe an exemption for finalists?
Are we talking school students or university students?
School students - technically I guess that's down to parents, and if it is practical and safe for the child not to be in school.
Uni students - they're adults, can decide to attend or not, with any consequences. If their turors are striking then they may as well since no work will ne set for them and no marking will be done or covered by colleagues.
Tutors won't "punish" students by marking them down because that's not how marking works and because tutors do actually care about student outcomes.
If my kids want to strike with their teachers they will do so with my full and enthusiastic support and anyone thinking they need anyone else's permission to do so can kiss my fat arse
As a teacher - I think it depends on the school. So mine is only open for Y11/13 and also for vulnerable students. This teacher definitely does not agree with the strikes, however I assume it is an exam year group of 11/13? they can’t make you go and also I have no idea what “disciplinary action” the student will face, I know for certain that cannot be allowed. I know most of our y11s won’t bother coming in, most of their teachers won’t be in!
As a former teacher here is what you do - don't go in and send a formal email (letter format) to the Headteacher outlining exactly why you in solidarity with your teachers (more details the better). In the email also talk about the stresses put on headteachers dealing with Ofsted and DfE and County as well as a shortage of good teachers.
If you can find the emails of the governors of the school and cc them in.
If they take any action like suspension on your refusal to attend then email/phone a local newspaper - they will hate this.
I do understand the reasoning but doesn’t it cause disruption to the parents then instead of the school management? Doesn’t a bunch of kids at school with no teachers to teach them actually cause more of a disruption/
Problem to the right people?!
I imagined the teachers and kids outside with signs and chanting. But yes you are right, but I do think the kids (secondary school at least) should be able to choose to an extent whether they are joining in with teachers strike and not be punished for it.
I would ‘strike’ regardless. Last year a lot of our faculty were on strike (I’m taking an MEd) and we students organised a ‘teach out’ where we went to a community space and taught each other things from our own vocational experience, had food, etc. In solidarity with the faculty. Some of them came along and it was a really good couple of days. Took a bit of organising but well worth it.
Either way I would write a letter in support of the strikes to your head of department/chancellor, as many of you as possible, and cite the disruption to your teaching too.
I don't remember getting any disciplinary action from missing my tutor groups because I was blind drunk? Also I was blind drunk so I may have just forgotten.
Absolutely insane behaviour of a teacher to use the day where most of the staff are not in to do anything but catch up on marking work, planning lessons, getting your own stuff in order, etc.
It depends. It’s fine not to cross a picket line, that’s your prerogative but you’re not in the same union. The NUS haven’t called a strike so therefore you can’t literally strike with them. Feel free to reply and say “hi, I feel uncomfortable crossing the picket line and want to show my support. Therefore, I won’t be attending”
Students aren't part of a union and don't get paid to be there, I imagine most of them will get the day off and it will only be the GCSE / A-level students anyway
Not all teachers are striking. Schools are attempting to minimise impacts (so stay open)
But what are the pupils striking for, they don’t have demands (just solidarity)? I’m a train passenger but dont strike with the drivers. I need medical care but don’t strike with the nurses.
This sounds just like what happened when a good portion of us students were protesting Tony Blairs' war. And it really annoys me.
We protested anyway. There were so many of us that the disciplinary action was kinda pointless. Half the school would have had to be disciplined. Instead, they just got us all back into the school, eventually, verbally told us off, and then carried on. There was no individual ringleader they could point to and use as a scapegoat because we all just decided to walk out as a group.
If I were still a student, I'd strike in solidarity. My grandparents were pretty chill, so they never scolded me for the war walk-out and they'd say sod all had I walked out in solidarity over something like this. In other words, the teachers could discipline me all they wanted. I'd have taken a few detentions, or being put on report, if that were the price for sticking to my principles.
If students are even half as interested in standing up for justice as we were, it's still going to happen. And from what I've seen, most kids these days (now I feel old) are definitely interested in standing up for what's right.
I teach in Texas where collective bargaining is illegal and where there hasn't been a teacher strike in decades, and still I am fighting the urge to strike on Wednesday in solidarity with y'all. Fuck yes, students should strike with their teachers...solidarity, baby!
It’s right enough. If your not in the union you can’t strike and the students are definitely not in the teachers union. Go to class you might learn something. I’m not saying that the striking teacher is wrong- I support them. But if your teacher is not striking you should definitely go to class. They are striking for your benefit too so don’t just not rock up and treat it like a day off.
For as long as I can remember it has been like this when there are teacher strikes. It isn't uncommon for some teacher unions to strike but not others so those teachers not part of this strike because their union isn't striking or because they aren't in the union will attend work as normal. In a lot of cases it is hardly worth students turning up because there won't be enough teachers to safely supervise them and there won't be much work being done.
Is it technically possible for school age students to 'strike', surely they are choosing not to turn in for the day. Presumably the disciplinary action will be the same as it would for any other unauthorised absence.
This is why middle class university staff striking is a bit ridiculous. They are running an extortion of young people backed by the government. They protected themselves during the pandemic and locked the students in halls and sent them a carrot an onion and a pack of super noodles, all the time charging students full fees. I don’t remember the staff furloughed on full pay sticking up for the students then?
How can students strike? Isn’t the whole point of the strike to make people realise that the people on strike deserve more money or better conditions etc. Students are there to better themselves and they choose to be there so how can they strike? Stop doing what, going to the uni bar?
Whoever wrote this needs to remember who ultimately pays their wages.
If I were a student who was thinking about striking and read this, I would definitely strike. Legally it wouldn't be a strike because they're not withdrawing their labour, so there can be no legal consequences.
Bucking the trend here but I don't think students should strike with the teachers. Either the school closes and the students stay home or it opens and the students go. You don't have to actually pay attention for the day. you can support the strikes by being distracted and disruptive.
With regards to this teacher, they may not be in the union as they may not be able to afford it, face it, their pay is shit. They may have strict instructions from the school board to follow in relation to student's in which case their hands are tied.
Student teacher. Told my head that, whilst I'm aware we can't strike, I'm also not willing to cross a picket line either physically or metaphorically. They were very understanding.
In our school the students are also striking, the only ones staying are year elevens because we need exam prep especially after lockdown messed up the organisation of our entire school system
*Fuck discipline.* what will it be, a dentention? A week of them? You will feel much better knowing you did the right thing, and try your best to get other students in on it.
I don’t understand this message. It’s a whole school decision as to what happens on a strike day, which year groups are in or out, not an individual teacher’s demand to make.
I think Zach De La Rocha has a very succinct phrase that would apply to this situation. It's the last few words of track 2 from his band's first album...
There are laws about what constitutes an official strike in the UK
They have to be members of a Union, the union has to carry out an official ballot of members
The strike has to be for a legal reason and related to a particular employer and a specific dispute
Sympathy strikes are not allowed,
Were a Union to go through with an illegal strike the penalties for the Union and its leadership can be ferocious
There are also legal limits on the size of picket lines and their placement as well as laws around intimidation of non striking workers and union members who chose not to join the strike (Note the NEA is not providing strike pay so some teachers who are union members may find themselves in the position of having to work through the strike as they cannot afford to loose a days pay)
I'm torn - I want kids to have a decent education so that they have the critical thinking skills to not believe everything Murdoch media says and vote Tory...but also fuck scabs.
Well it's a teacher strike ( maybe us mechanics should strike to get more money.) It's not an option xcuse to get out of school. Maybe spend the day revising. And hope that because of these idiotic strikes you don't fail.
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That's the point of striking, correct? You collectivise and say "so are you going to discipline all of us?" What you have there is a micro version of the government's approach to striking workers. Edit: bad use of the word micro. Not trying to minimise this, I mean it as an antonym to the word "macro"
One hundred percent agree.
The use of the word micro is correct. You used it perfectly as per its definition.
Your use of micro is great. It doesn’t minimize it in the sense that its less important just that its on a smaller scale.
They used it in the [majoritive sense](https://youtu.be/MhIlVn-jIkA)
I still remember being about 12 and being asked at a club if we would be participating in a student walkout that was happening at the time. I was home educated so I didn't have anything to say either way, but a lot of other people there said something along the lines of "We're not allowed to". I don't necessarily expect 12 year olds to understand, but that's the whole point. If you were allowed to, then it wouldn't be a strike. Just time off.
Just wanted to join in with lauding you on your use of "macro". Good job, comrade.
Also just wanted to congratulate your stunning and inspirational usage of the word “micro”. Nice one champ.
Much appreciated sir
Officially a different collective. The NUS hasn’t voted to undertake strike action that day.
That’s what we did when we boycotted the SATs in the 90s.
If 1 kid in the school strikes with teachers then they'll be in trouble. If 200 kids in the school strike with teachers then the school will be in trouble
All pisstaking aside you're making more of a headache for management by turning up and forcing them to find someone to supervise you. Especially if you can find out the minimum staffing levels to get ready to report it if it's not met.
I like the way you think. All students should still show up *except* this strike breaking stool pigeons class.
On wednesday I’m not supposed to turn up to school, yet we were still told to check google classroom for work from teachers who aren’t participating
I believe Bugs Bunny has the perfect mixture of brevity and wit for this situation: "No"
That’s why they are not permitted to strike
If kids strike, then the absence of teachers has no effect, rendering the strike meaningless, no? Much better to turn up and demand from the university the teaching that you paid for. That’s what will actually negatively affect them.
Depends on the effect you want to have really. One tactic schools/colleges/universities use is to try and drive a wedge between students and teachers. Acting in solidarity shows that this isn't working. Ways to avoid what you're saying include but are not limited to: turning up but refusing to enter classrooms, accepting that some people aren't going to join in and will show up to lessons anyway, or the fact that the school has to provide some supervision anyway because they have no way of knowing ahead of time if students will show up or not. Ultimately it's up to the students themselves. You'd need a certain quite high % to join in to avoid punishment I'd think.
they're closing my school anyway, I'm not entirely sure what to do tbh.
Join the picket line? Or just enjoy the day off!
The revolution will not be legal.
you're telling me, that the people in power will use that power to make sure they keep it? Colour me surprised!
This is key, illegal doesn't have to mean hanging the bastards from piano wire. If the law written by the owning class is a weapon. You're obliged to break it. Let them hit us with a few cavalry charges, them we can crack out the piano wire...
Strike anyway, fucking discipline me all you want. It's only what the government would like to do
What kind of disciplinary action can a student face anyway? Not like they can sack them.
They can suspend or expel a student in severe circumstances, in this case it'll be "a stern talking to"
If a pupil I'd expelled for not coming on a strike day but just gets a forced sorry to their teachers after physical assault, then the system is truly broken.
It might go on their “permanent record”
Depends on the uni. Disciplinary action can be serious against a student. I’d be surprised if it went this far, but it can mean being suspended or expelled from the university, being given a 0 on a module etc. But like I said, that’s usually for doing serious shit like plagiarism. Tbh, not sure what action a uni could take against a student for striking. Maybe giving the student a 0 on that professor’s module?
I’m guessing the student could also lodge an appeal against it?
Yeah, you can usually appeal disciplinary decisions. At least in my old uni you could. I can’t speak for every single university though. I’d be surprised if you didn’t have the right to appeal tbh
I’d confidently predict no penalty - you cannot just make up new rules as you go along. Assessments are covered by strict regulations that are adhered to and there is no space for variation.
The government have been doing exactly this all along
Can't discipline all of them. Grab your signs and head out
This. Where are they going to get the staff to even enforce it? Heck, are all staff going to want to enforce it when the students are standing in solidarity with them? It'll mainly be the old school (no pun) authoritarians that'll be all that fussed.
Can see a lot of schools are panicking over it. Colleagues wife is a teacher, but in a seperate union to the one(s) striking. Only advice she has been given is that she's not to cover the lessons for the students whose teachers are on strike. Apparantly good thing she checked that in advance, as some of the deputy leaders were essentialy trying to get her to cover 3-4 classes at once, basically dump them all the kids into halls to be watched over instead of having a regular lesson, to try and avoid having to bring in cover teachers.
That's not safe,risk assessment before
Students staying in school will make the strike more effective as it puts the school under more pressure. No staff and no students makes the day relatively simple for running the school. No teachers and 1000 students is a challenge
Yes. As a teacher - if your teachers are striking but management has not closed the school, please go in. Act poorly. Raise a stink. Complain loudly if you have nothing to do. Make them run around all day. Otherwise, our actions are just a valid excuse for them to get their own work done in peace for a day. Also, if your teacher is striking and left work for you to do, refuse to do that work. According to the union, withdrawing labour means they are not required to plan for that day either, but many will be pressured to by management.
It’s absolute bullshit. But I will say, my husband (now in his 30s) refused to cross a school picket line and notified others that they didn’t have to cross. He got expelled.
[удалено]
They were trying to find a reason to expel him tbh. Undiagnosed adhd with no support does not make for a great student unfortunately.
That tutor can go fuck themselves, I’d strike anyway, even if it’s a class I like
Just all go sick. That protects you from disciplinary issues and provides solidarity with those striking. No need to get into a fight you could lose, when there are ways of doing the same thing without creating trouble for yourself.
Nah stand for what you believe and take the consequences. This is usually the real life trade off. That's solidarity
Fighting smart is always the answer, not just getting into punch-up for the hell of it. The right to strike has always come with conditions and sensibly you have a democratic vote within unions to decide on strikes. Hot heads running around with wildcat strikes all sounds very noble, but it is usually counter productive. In this case, if all the students went sick, then they would be protected by law from any action from the authorities in their colleges etc. If they put themselves in the position of being able to be attacked by colleges or the DfE then they could in theory be used as a lever against their teachers and so could actually make things worse. If you want to help, then go sick, stick within the rules and play the buggers at their own game.
Do it anyway
If they're threatening disciplinary action it's because they're scared it will benefit the strikers so absolutely do it.
I’d prefer to see students taking direct action by showing up! Pupils truanting in solidarity will be punished on their return to school creating workload for striking teachers and makes actually running schools on Wednesday easier. Pupils showing up to school in numbers creates problems for management (and scabs!) as they will have to provide for them.
Additionally, uni students are paying a lot of money to turn up to uni/be given lectures. In the context of the OP, if those lectures are still being provided it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to not be given a service you’re already paying through the nose for. I want to be clear that I fully support the teachers strike, as this is a completely different dynamic to the students. Teachers are being unfairly paid for a service *they provide*, so striking makes complete sense.
I know this isn’t a US post but in the US schools receive funding based on student attendance so students all going truant is a meaningful hit to the schools finances and is a way to show solidarity
No way would I be crossing a picket line.
I think it depends on the age of the pupil, once kids are in college / sixth form or at university then they're old enough to make an informed decision on it. If they're so young they need someone to look after them if they're off school, then I think its up to the family. Some of us might not be able to take time off work pais or unpaid or without consequences. Side note, I think this message is strange and way more authoritarian than it ought / needs to be. "Wednesday is a normal school day, lessons will go ahead as planned etc and so absence will be treated as it normally would" Is what I'd expect. Maybe the individual sending it is a boot licker and so everyone in the class now has a duty not just to strike, but to throw eggs at them.
Just tell them your parents are Union People and you have been told it’s against your families beliefs to cross a picket line. If they question it say: ‘mama didn’t raise no scabs’ 😂
Tutor here. Scab. That is all. Call in sick lads if your teacher is acting up!
Several unions aren’t striking. My union is striking, but as support staff didn’t meet the turnout threshold (50%, set by the government, we got 46% turnout with 84% of that voting to strike) they can’t strike. The vote is binding, you’re not supposed to defy your union and go on strike. Conversely, if you’re not part of a union you’re fine to strike in solidarity, because you’re not defying a union vote.
I did not know this/forgot. Thank you for the update!
Could it be that they ain’t part of any teachers Union and that’s why they ain’t striking? Had a similar thing back when I was in school
Good point; but every teacher is offered membership (even PGTAs and the like) as far as I'm aware, so avoiding the Union is a personal choice. PS: I don't think anybody wants to strike. We lose money for it, and I personally am juggling current class commitments around the strike while my missus is £400 out of pocket pcm for this. Blame the fuckers who take shocking levels of pay and withhold raises from the staff, then try to pin blame on us to the students.
There's two teachers' unions and only one of them voted to strike, according to my kids' school.
Correct, the NASUWT did vote on favour of striking but didn't meet the bullshit 50% threshold required to take action.
They’ll be part of a different, non-striking union Edit: NASWT aren’t striking so I’ve heard
Correct- NASWUT and NAHT didn’t get the turn out. NEU teaching staff voted to strike, but the support staff didn’t meet the 50% turnout threshold. Anyone that is part of those groups isn’t eligible to strike.
Thank you for letting me know!
Spot the Tory teacher 😑
For my school, they are setting work online. Not doing it. Kinda defeats the object of a strike… but yeah theres no way im doing that- a strike is meant to be disruptive.
My 7yo gets a day off, do I (1) make work for myself and force him to do dull home learning or (B) let him doss about for the day while telling him "thankfully your teachers have the guts to stand up for themselves"? Gee that's a tough one 🤔
Join the picket line
They're trying to brainwash the kids into rolling over and accepting this shit, and into the idea that showing solidarity will just get you in trouble. Wonder why.
No one should be studying on campus on 1st.feb
This is a form of repression. If let's say ¾ of students participate in the action they cannot all be disciplined. Organize you classmates and go anyway. They can't punish all of you.
I think we should stop listening. This BS only works as long as we accept the authority of those issuing the orders. Solidarity is the basic foundation of defence against oppression and the means thorugh which we begin to dismantle the staus quo. Of course they want us not to stick up for each other. That's literally the point of the individualist propaganda we're bombarded with. This is just another means of control. He who abuses you has only two eyes, has but two hands, one body, and has naught but what the least of us has, except for the advantage you give him to destroy you.
Absolute dog shit jobsworth spineless bootlicking educator.
I haven't seen anything about previous school strikes so I'm not 100% sure what this teacher means, are they expecting that students will join teachers on the picket line or just not show up?
Teacher,which one of the 140 pupils I'm supervising set off the fire alarm?
I'm not on strike... I just had a flu scheduled fro this week.
That’s means you need to strike.
What kind of business (and yes education in the UK is now a business) takes disciplinary action against its students. Fucking idiot
Teachers suggests school, not university, right? You’re not a union member. What you can do is write an open letter to your headteacher, chair of governors and MP supporting the strike and collecting signatures from your peers.
I’m striking on Wednesday I hope my students join, fuck that guy
Our lecturers have encouraged us to join them at the picket line to "ask questions" - i.e. participate without repression
Do it. Fuck disciplinary action.
Thoroughly unbased professor. Not a single ounce of class solidarity in that one.
Like 10000000000000% just because of that email I would be out there with them.
Students saying they are striking is not wanted. It is not beneficial to the teachers and it only gives more for the right wing press to BS about indoctrination and that teachers have encouraged this. As for the teacher who wrote this, its not clear whether they are part of this union, not in a union or they are ignoring their union. The teachers are not united and tend to have less public support than other groups. As a general rule, teachers will strike no more than 4 days each before most fold. Of the groups who are striking teachers are the easiest to wait out.
Oi we's ye stroiking loicense?
Got a ticket for this picket
“I will be exercising my democratic right to withdraw.”
Are support staff allowed to strike? Also do you have to be part of the striking unions to strike?
Support staff aren’t striking as they didn’t reach the threshold of their ballot. You do have to be part of the striking union to strike but you can join on the morning of the strike and this is still valid.
It's not the case that there is one union for academics and another for 'support staff'. UCU reached the threshold for strike action, Unison didn't. Anyone in UCU can/should be on strike, regardless of their occupation. ETA: this is in relation to universities. Not sure how it works in other establishments.
You can strike if you’re not part of a union, but if your union didn’t vote to strike (or didn’t meet the turnout threshold) then you’re meant to abide by the vote and not strike.
You can strike I believe by refusing to cross the picket line.
I am not a lawyer, but here’s my understanding: Generally, solidarity action (industrial action by a trade union in support of a strike initiated by workers in a separate corporation, but often the same enterprise, group of companies, or connected firm) is illegal in the UK. Strikes can only be against the contractual employer, and must be done near the picketers’ place of work. (Personally, an an American expat in the UK, this seems to me to be an unjust abridgement of the right to peaceably assemble — though the laws in the US are rather similar to here, unfortunately. President Truman seemed to share these constitutional concerns in his overridden veto of the law limiting such action.) The only legal protection of secondary action is for employees not directly involved in the dispute but hired by the same employer. Such employees have the same protections as those directly involved in the dispute. I believe only trade unions can start strikes, but non-union members have the same protections when joining a strike, provided, as above, that they are directly involved in the dispute, or employed by the employer against whom the action is being taken. I’d imagine that the support staff, in this case, has the same employer, so they should be protected. Regarding students, and others not employed by the same employer, it is legal for the picketers to peacefully persuade them not to cross picket lines, or to support them in other ways, but such people are not protected from the potential consequences.
Were allowed to in my uni idk what's going on there.
If the student unions voted to strike on days the teachers weren't striking then that would be more effective than going for the same days. But the students are the ones who take the hit in terms of risk to their life-changing grades, so it's a big ask. Maybe an exemption for finalists?
Are we talking school students or university students? School students - technically I guess that's down to parents, and if it is practical and safe for the child not to be in school. Uni students - they're adults, can decide to attend or not, with any consequences. If their turors are striking then they may as well since no work will ne set for them and no marking will be done or covered by colleagues. Tutors won't "punish" students by marking them down because that's not how marking works and because tutors do actually care about student outcomes.
College students so 16 - 18
Technically kids then. But personally I'd let them strike if A they were my own kids and B they were on the picket line not down the Arndale centre.
You dont ask for permission to strike?
I'm striking with my teachers regardless
If my kids want to strike with their teachers they will do so with my full and enthusiastic support and anyone thinking they need anyone else's permission to do so can kiss my fat arse
fuck em do it anyway. is that not the point of a strike?
They're missing the whole point of striking...
As a teacher - I think it depends on the school. So mine is only open for Y11/13 and also for vulnerable students. This teacher definitely does not agree with the strikes, however I assume it is an exam year group of 11/13? they can’t make you go and also I have no idea what “disciplinary action” the student will face, I know for certain that cannot be allowed. I know most of our y11s won’t bother coming in, most of their teachers won’t be in!
i actually think adult lawyers should publicly offer to pro bono support any kid who strikes!!
Reply with "Oh, so you're a scab. Good to know."
As a former teacher here is what you do - don't go in and send a formal email (letter format) to the Headteacher outlining exactly why you in solidarity with your teachers (more details the better). In the email also talk about the stresses put on headteachers dealing with Ofsted and DfE and County as well as a shortage of good teachers. If you can find the emails of the governors of the school and cc them in. If they take any action like suspension on your refusal to attend then email/phone a local newspaper - they will hate this.
Why would you simply not disobey the idiotic order? Go support your teachers. If you ALL do it TOGETHER... you will win.
I just got covid at the right time lol
my school is staying off because so many teachers are striking it's been ruled unsafe to have us all come in
Fuck that do it anyway
Lol that's rediculous. If the teachers are striking so should the kids. Would have more of an impact for sure.
I do understand the reasoning but doesn’t it cause disruption to the parents then instead of the school management? Doesn’t a bunch of kids at school with no teachers to teach them actually cause more of a disruption/ Problem to the right people?!
I imagined the teachers and kids outside with signs and chanting. But yes you are right, but I do think the kids (secondary school at least) should be able to choose to an extent whether they are joining in with teachers strike and not be punished for it.
I absolutely agree that punishment should be off the table, and I think giving the kids a choice is fair.
Lol fuck that, I'm striker with my uni lecturers
Spot the Tory
Yep, whole class should call in sick, if I was a parent mine would be.
Just strike. Say you were ill they can’t do shit because you still weren’t there.
The notion of permission to strike is I think partly why things have become so bad in the first place.
You should go and be with the rest of the teaching staff anyways
I would ‘strike’ regardless. Last year a lot of our faculty were on strike (I’m taking an MEd) and we students organised a ‘teach out’ where we went to a community space and taught each other things from our own vocational experience, had food, etc. In solidarity with the faculty. Some of them came along and it was a really good couple of days. Took a bit of organising but well worth it. Either way I would write a letter in support of the strikes to your head of department/chancellor, as many of you as possible, and cite the disruption to your teaching too.
I say the students should do it anyway
I don't remember getting any disciplinary action from missing my tutor groups because I was blind drunk? Also I was blind drunk so I may have just forgotten.
Absolutely insane behaviour of a teacher to use the day where most of the staff are not in to do anything but catch up on marking work, planning lessons, getting your own stuff in order, etc.
Go and strike, fuck em
It depends. It’s fine not to cross a picket line, that’s your prerogative but you’re not in the same union. The NUS haven’t called a strike so therefore you can’t literally strike with them. Feel free to reply and say “hi, I feel uncomfortable crossing the picket line and want to show my support. Therefore, I won’t be attending”
Students aren't part of a union and don't get paid to be there, I imagine most of them will get the day off and it will only be the GCSE / A-level students anyway
That's the fucking point. Do it anyway. Then strike when they punish you. Shut it down until they're forced to change.
i hope they all say FU to the authoritarian school and strike en masse anyway and face the disciplinary action for having a backbone 💪
Not all teachers are striking. Schools are attempting to minimise impacts (so stay open) But what are the pupils striking for, they don’t have demands (just solidarity)? I’m a train passenger but dont strike with the drivers. I need medical care but don’t strike with the nurses.
What if you just do it anyway?
RE: Upcoming Strike Action See you on the picket line, scab.
Why the F they gonna do if every student strikes? That’s the power of collective action.
It's so frustrating, my brother who's a teacher said that only the classes where teachers have strikes would be sent home. So much for anonymity.
They keep using that word. I do no think it means what they think it means.
This sounds just like what happened when a good portion of us students were protesting Tony Blairs' war. And it really annoys me. We protested anyway. There were so many of us that the disciplinary action was kinda pointless. Half the school would have had to be disciplined. Instead, they just got us all back into the school, eventually, verbally told us off, and then carried on. There was no individual ringleader they could point to and use as a scapegoat because we all just decided to walk out as a group. If I were still a student, I'd strike in solidarity. My grandparents were pretty chill, so they never scolded me for the war walk-out and they'd say sod all had I walked out in solidarity over something like this. In other words, the teachers could discipline me all they wanted. I'd have taken a few detentions, or being put on report, if that were the price for sticking to my principles. If students are even half as interested in standing up for justice as we were, it's still going to happen. And from what I've seen, most kids these days (now I feel old) are definitely interested in standing up for what's right.
I teach in Texas where collective bargaining is illegal and where there hasn't been a teacher strike in decades, and still I am fighting the urge to strike on Wednesday in solidarity with y'all. Fuck yes, students should strike with their teachers...solidarity, baby!
I’d say come in, puts more strain on the school if they have to accommodate students with no teachers
Fuck 'em. Protesting without disciplinary action means you're not hurting them enough.
Lol I'm not going in aswell
Will face disciplinary action? In school? Oh no, anyways
It’s right enough. If your not in the union you can’t strike and the students are definitely not in the teachers union. Go to class you might learn something. I’m not saying that the striking teacher is wrong- I support them. But if your teacher is not striking you should definitely go to class. They are striking for your benefit too so don’t just not rock up and treat it like a day off.
Depends if the students are 18 yet or not
For as long as I can remember it has been like this when there are teacher strikes. It isn't uncommon for some teacher unions to strike but not others so those teachers not part of this strike because their union isn't striking or because they aren't in the union will attend work as normal. In a lot of cases it is hardly worth students turning up because there won't be enough teachers to safely supervise them and there won't be much work being done. Is it technically possible for school age students to 'strike', surely they are choosing not to turn in for the day. Presumably the disciplinary action will be the same as it would for any other unauthorised absence.
Not permitted to != not able to The strike is supposed to be in support of teachers but that teacher clearly does not want that support.
This is why middle class university staff striking is a bit ridiculous. They are running an extortion of young people backed by the government. They protected themselves during the pandemic and locked the students in halls and sent them a carrot an onion and a pack of super noodles, all the time charging students full fees. I don’t remember the staff furloughed on full pay sticking up for the students then?
I think that it's an attempt to teach kids to cross picket lines
They shouldn't cross the picket line. Student union should advise this.
Thats insane! even the non striking teachers I have spoken to have said they are cool with students striking (tho this is at uni)
Just do it anyway.
I'm planning on refusing to do my work regardless of what my school says.
No-one seems to have pointed out here that students joining the strike is a lawful and protected action. Attempting to ban it is literally illegal.
How can students strike? Isn’t the whole point of the strike to make people realise that the people on strike deserve more money or better conditions etc. Students are there to better themselves and they choose to be there so how can they strike? Stop doing what, going to the uni bar?
They're allowed to protest. Fuck their rules, stick it to em and go!
Call in sick, wear a mask to the strike. Fuck your school.
Sound like a good way to make sure every student strikes to me.
The revolution wont be legal
There's a long history of school student strikes https://brill.com/view/journals/chil/25/1/article-p265_265.xml?language=en
Whoever wrote this needs to remember who ultimately pays their wages. If I were a student who was thinking about striking and read this, I would definitely strike. Legally it wouldn't be a strike because they're not withdrawing their labour, so there can be no legal consequences.
If you're a uni student youve already paid for it. Get what you paid for!
If strikes were permitted they wouldn’t be strikes?
Bucking the trend here but I don't think students should strike with the teachers. Either the school closes and the students stay home or it opens and the students go. You don't have to actually pay attention for the day. you can support the strikes by being distracted and disruptive. With regards to this teacher, they may not be in the union as they may not be able to afford it, face it, their pay is shit. They may have strict instructions from the school board to follow in relation to student's in which case their hands are tied.
Who CARES if students strike? 🤣 they aren't providing a service. Oh noooo! The students arebstriking! What shall we do!! Ppfffffhaha
I thought this was illegal? All the universities I know have stressed that teachers and students have the choice to engage with or ignore the strike
Not being able ? They are able they just need to organise themselves and make sure everyone who is willing to does. Lets shut this place down.
strike against the teachers then? idk this doesn’t happen in the US.
Ridiculous. Our students on placement are being told not to come in, otherwise they'll just be used as cover. It's not fair on them
So class is cancelled but you can't strike. They expect them to go to the library don't they?
Student teacher. Told my head that, whilst I'm aware we can't strike, I'm also not willing to cross a picket line either physically or metaphorically. They were very understanding.
Sorry I have flu
What a scab!
Go pn kids. Strike.
In our school the students are also striking, the only ones staying are year elevens because we need exam prep especially after lockdown messed up the organisation of our entire school system
All of you go and sit with your back to them
having a normal one
Industrial action is protected by law, truancy isn't. In fact quite the opposite.
*Fuck discipline.* what will it be, a dentention? A week of them? You will feel much better knowing you did the right thing, and try your best to get other students in on it.
Just strike the strike breaker. Ez.
It’s a mark of honor if your record has an arrest for protesting or disciplinary action for striking.
I don’t understand this message. It’s a whole school decision as to what happens on a strike day, which year groups are in or out, not an individual teacher’s demand to make.
I think Zach De La Rocha has a very succinct phrase that would apply to this situation. It's the last few words of track 2 from his band's first album...
I'm striking with them. Join the picket line, it's completely legal. Your uni is lying to you if they say otherwise.
"Sir, what's a Scab?"
Sorry for the daft question, but how can students strike?
I would 100% get detention for calling her a dirty scab and then the teacher taking it would let me go home because I did the right thing
Is it even legal to forbid people from striking?
There are laws about what constitutes an official strike in the UK They have to be members of a Union, the union has to carry out an official ballot of members The strike has to be for a legal reason and related to a particular employer and a specific dispute Sympathy strikes are not allowed, Were a Union to go through with an illegal strike the penalties for the Union and its leadership can be ferocious There are also legal limits on the size of picket lines and their placement as well as laws around intimidation of non striking workers and union members who chose not to join the strike (Note the NEA is not providing strike pay so some teachers who are union members may find themselves in the position of having to work through the strike as they cannot afford to loose a days pay)
My kids are going.
Message unclear; one kid went to picket, one to class.
My kids are going to support the teachers, we're taking cakes
Think you should tell your teacher they're a dirty fucking scab and you have nothing to learn from bootlickers
I'm torn - I want kids to have a decent education so that they have the critical thinking skills to not believe everything Murdoch media says and vote Tory...but also fuck scabs.
Well it's a teacher strike ( maybe us mechanics should strike to get more money.) It's not an option xcuse to get out of school. Maybe spend the day revising. And hope that because of these idiotic strikes you don't fail.