OIC reveals extent of school and nursery closures as strike approaches
As a national strike approaches, involving school and nursery staff, Orkney Islands Council has written to parents to outline the impact this will have across the county.
Currently, this includes the closure of 14 nurseries and 14 schools.
Industrial action involving school catering staff, cleaners, caretakers, teaching assistants, and early years practitioners is planned between Tuesday, September 6, and Thursday, September 8.
According to a letter from James Wylie — corporate director for education, leisure and housing — each school and nursery manager has now “reviewed the potential risks for their institution.” This includes the impact on health, safety and support provisions.
Mr Wylie then says: “Whilst we completely understand the difficulties these closures place on parents and carers — many of whom make up Orkney’s workforce — paramount to us is the safety of all when opening an establishment and if we are unable to guarantee that all health, safety and wellbeing measures are being met, then they simply cannot open.
“Given that this situation remains fluid, our advice continues to be that parents and carers of children attending establishments planned to open should plan alternative arrangements for their children on those dates as a precaution in case further closures are announced.
“Discussions regarding the continuity of learning are taking place for each school over these three days and will be shared by individual Head Teachers as they become available.”