‘Majority of pupils missed school’ on the day of cancelled Dundee teacher strike

The ‘majority of pupils’ failed to turn up to most secondary schools in Dundee on the day of a cancelled teacher strike, it is believed.

A teacher at Braeview Academy estimated pupil absence could have been as high as 80-90%, highest in more senior years and increasing after lunch.

At Morgan Academy, a teacher also said absence rose after the lunch break and that there were less than 50% of pupils in school today.

Another teacher at St John’s High School said she thought there were ‘definitely less than 50% of pupils’ in attendance but guessed the actual figure was closer to 25%.

And we were told that there were around a third of pupils in attendance at Harris Academy.

The only school we spoke to which reported higher attendance figures was Grove Academy, where a teacher said there was between 60-70% attendance in his classes.

However, he did say his classes were all S1-S3 and that he ‘wouldn’t want those figures to contradict the fact that a lot of pupils have voted with their feet’.

‘Lost learning’

Teachers commented that today will be a day of ‘lost learning’ for students, impacting both those in and out of school.

They said some planned lessons were not able to take place due to low attendance, and that some work might have to be repeated to allow pupils to catch up.

A planned teacher strike was to be held today in an attempt to stop faculties being introduced in secondary schools.

But industrial action was cancelled at the last minute yesterday after the court intervened in the dispute between teaching union EIS and Dundee City Council.

As a direct result of the ruling, the EIS suspended strike action and told its members to report to work.

Dundee City Council thereafter informed parents and carers that schools would be open as usual.

The council declined to comment on pupil absences and instead referred to a previous comment that it is ‘studying the detail’ of the Court of Sessions’ decision.

David Baxter, EIS Dundee rep, said: “The impact on pupils’ learning today will not be as big as the impact of the imposition of faculties.

“But if any finger-pointing is to be done, it’s down to Dundee City Council for not engaging in negotiations as they should have.

“Teachers turned up, we got the win we needed through the courts, not strike. We still have another strike planned if this is not resolved.”

Why was Dundee secondary teachers strike called off?