With the news of teacher strikes now confirmed, we are pleased to provide the following responses to FAQs which we hope will support you in planning for the potential impact of industrial action.
Are tuition fee trainees entitled to strike if they are a member of a striking union?
No. Strike action is taken against an employer. There is no right to strike against a programme of study. Trainee teachers on tuition fee routes were not balloted by their unions. Therefore, all tuition fee trainees should be expected to continue to engage fully in their ITT programmes.
What about salaried trainees who are members of a striking union?
Salaried trainees are employees and, therefore, have the right to take strike action against their employers. However, there is no corresponding right to strike from a programme of study, so salaried trainees who choose to strike should still expect to participate fully in their ITT programme. If a strike day falls on a day which would normally be based in school, they can either be directed towards other programme related activities, or their absence from the placement school can be treated in the same manner as any other absence. If a strike day falls on a core training day, the trainee can reasonably be expected to attend. However, we recognise that they may wish to take part in strike-related activity and, therefore, if they choose not to attend training, this can be treated as any other absence, with the same expectations about catch-up with any missed content.
Can trainee teachers be asked to provide cover in the event of strike action affecting their placement school?
This may place a trainee in a difficult moral position and providers should be sensitive to this. However, if the placement school, provider and trainee are all in agreement and the trainee is willing to provide cover, and the provider feels that this would not disadvantage the trainee in any way, then they are able to do so. Providers will want to be fully reassured that the trainee has not been put under any undue pressure to provide cover in these instances. In instances of doubt, we would recommend erring on the side of caution when making these decisions.
What if a school is closed due to strike action?
It is our understanding that no individual school should be affected by more than four days of strike action. In the event of a school closure, providers should direct trainees towards other programme related activity that can be undertaken during this time. As the disruption is expected to be minimal for any individual trainee, we do not anticipate that there will be any cause for a trainee to claim their programme has been significantly disrupted, but providers should ensure that suitable alternative activity has been provided for all trainees affected.
What if a trainee’s mentor is on strike but the school is open?
It is our understanding that no individual school should be affected by more than four days of strike action. In the event of a mentor being absent for strike action, this can be dealt with in the same way as any other short-term mentor absence. Please note the answer to the question about providing cover in this regard. As the disruption is expected to be minimal for any individual trainee, we do not anticipate that there will be any cause for a trainee to claim their programme has been significantly disrupted but providers should ensure that suitable alternative activity has been provided for all trainees affected by a mentor’s absence.
What if partnership staff are on strike?
It is our understanding that no individual school should be affected by more than four days of strike action. In the event of a member of a provider’s core team being absent for strike action, this can be dealt with in the same way as any other short-term absence. If a significant event in the ITT calendar is disrupted due to strike action (such as a core training day), providers should design alternative activities to replace the session to ensure that the trainees’ programme as a whole are not undermined. As the disruption is expected to be minimal, we do not anticipate that there will be any cause for a trainee to claim their programme has been significantly disrupted but providers should ensure that suitable alternative activity has been provided for all trainees affected by staff absence.