A Dundee teachers strike will close secondary schools for most pupils on Wednesday.
Parents have been told that only vulnerable children and children of key workers unable to find alternative childcare should go to classes on June 22.
Teachers are striking over the grouping of subjects into faculties, which will see principal teachers replaced with faculty heads.
Letters issued to parents by Dundee City Council said that pupils should only attend if told they can by their school.
Paul Fleming, chief education officer, said: “As a result of the strike action our secondary schools will not be able to open as normal to all young people.
“We will look to prioritise provision for vulnerable young people through direct contact from the school and for the children of key workers, where there is no other alternative available for childcare on that day.”
Dundee teachers strike rally
The EIS union’s Dundee local association has told members to stay off school premises on Wednesday and do no work.
On the day of the strike – Wednesday 22 June – don't complete any work on the day and do not go onto school premises.
Join your school's picket line. Pickets start at 7.30am before the start of the working day and will continue mid-morning before travelling to the lunchtime rally— Dundee EIS (@DundeeEis) June 16, 2022
Picket lines will be formed at schools at 7.30am ahead of a rally outside the Queen’s Hotel, in Nethergate, at 12.30pm., which will be addressed by the EIS incoming general secretary Andrea Bradley.
The one-day strike has been called in opposition to introduction of a faculties system, where ‘families’ of subjects will be grouped together with one curriculum head instead of a principal teacher in every subject.
This will see 110 principal teacher posts axed and could mean, for example, a teacher in biology heading a science faculty for biology, chemistry and physics.
Recruitment for the new posts has already started.
The EIS argues this is not beneficial to pupils and will result in fewer experienced teachers, less dedicated support and an increase in teachers’ workload and stress.
However, the council says the model already used by most other local authorities will improve quality of learning and teaching by providing enhanced whole school leadership to better support pupils and improve outcomes.
The action is unrelated to the nationwide pay dispute which could result in further strike action in October.
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