School Strikes by Ayana Pathak (The Charter School North Dulwich)

The strikes come after years of underfunding and understaffing of state schools, leading to low morale among teachers, high workload, and stressful working conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic meant teachers were having to work harder than ever to provide online teaching and support for students. 

I interviewed a secondary school teacher located in East London, Ms Monica Runglall, who recently partook in teacher strikes.  She provided an account of her experience as a striking teacher.  “I’ve been teaching for 16 years and I absolutely love my job and the students I teach. This is the reason why I’ve continued in the profession but I’m seeing many new hardworking, diligent, inspirational teachers leaving after a year or two of being in the job.  Over the years more and more is asked from us with little given in return.  We are underfunded, there’s a lack of teaching assistants and non specialists are teaching core subjects such as Maths, English and Science.  Furthermore, there’s a lack of teachers applying for jobs and many teachers are either on long term sickness brought on by the stresses of the job or they leave unable to cope.  Not only do we teach but we play the role of a social worker, parent, mental health professional, police officer and at times a punching bag for some of our most disaffected young people in society.  The irony is that many of the newer staff in my school are unable to strike because they simply cannot afford to.  It’s unfair and absolutely ludicrous that the government have offered to increase our pay, but schools will need to take the money out of their funding, meaning that schools won’t have any money to purchase texts and other important resources to aid the teaching and learning of our students. It’s time we are heard and taken seriously! We’re not just childcare. We are raising the future.”

The strikes have had a significant impact on students, particularly those approaching their A-levels and GCSE exams. Many students have expressed their concerns about missing out on important classes and lessons, which may affect their grades and future prospects. The stress of exams and the added pressure of missed classes may be causing significant anxiety for students.  I spoke to a Group of Year 12 students, who provided their perspectives on the matter.  Responses ranged from, “I am concerned that we are nearing our exams, and the pace that we are currently learning new content has been significantly slowed down by so many missed lessons”, “I think it’s more important that teachers strike now, so good teaching can be continued in the future” and “I feel like there is no point in me coming to school on a day with teacher strikes, last time there was a strike, only one of my teachers was present”.

Despite this, the majority of students support their teachers’ decision to strike. They understand the reasons behind the strikes and believe that teachers deserve better working conditions, higher pay, and greater support from the government. Students recognize the hard work teachers have put in over lockdown with online teaching and feel that they deserve to be treated fairly. 

The strikes have raised concerns about the state of education in the UK and the impact it is having on students. The government needs to take the concerns of teachers seriously and address the issues that are causing low morale, high workload, and stressful working conditions. Students’ education should not be disrupted by strikes, and they should be given the support and resources they need to succeed in their exams and future careers.

In conclusion, the UK teacher strikes in state schools are causing stress for students approaching their exams. While students support their teachers’ decision to strike, they are also concerned about missing valuable teaching time and knowledge they may need to succeed in exams and in their futures. The government needs to take action to address the issues that are causing low morale and stressful working conditions for teachers so that students can receive the education and support they need to succeed.