HC Deb 23 March 1979 vol 964 cc116-8W
27. Mr. Adley

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she is taking to keep schools open during the current bout of industrial unrest affecting the education of children at State schools.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

Schools are under the control of local education authorities and it is their responsibility to ensure that they are open. I made my position clear in calling upon local education authorities to open schools wherever they could and I am glad to say that most of them were able to do so.

During the dispute I had a number of meetings with representatives of those authorities which had been most seriously affected by the industrial action of public service workers. I also met the national co-ordinating committee of the unions involved and representatives of the teachers' organisations.

I pointed out to all authorities that they had a legal right to seek access to their schools, but that they must make sure that teaching would take place if the schools were reopened. The unions agreed some weeks ago to advise their local representatives to accept a code of conduct which would exempt special schools from their action and allow schools to be opened for fifth and sixth year pupils. They also advised their members that closures should be limited and on a rotational basis so that no undue burden was put on any one group of children.

28. Mr. Kenneth Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps she has taken to secure agreement with the trade unions concerned to make sure that any future disruption of working through strikes does not affect the long-term educational prospects of pupils.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

I sincerely hope that in the event of any future industrial action public service workers will not again direct their action against schoolchildren. The closure of schools in recent weeks has seriously disrupted the education of many children and could harm the prospects of those who will be taking public examinations this summer.

During the course of this dispute, I made representations about the effect on children to the national co-ordinating committee of the public service unions. It agreed to advise its local representatives to accept a code of conduct which would exempt special schools from its action and allow schools to be opened for fifth and sixth year pupils. It was also willing to advise that any closures should be limited and on a rotational basis so that no undue burden would be put on any one group of children. I twice saw the authorities most affected, to discuss with them ways of resuming the education of the children for whom they and I are responsible, and I pursued with the national co-ordinating committee each case of extended closure.

I have been in touch with the teachers' unions to encourage their members to do whatever they can to make up time lost by children during the dispute and I have had discussions on the same point with the local education authorities most affected by the dispute. I have also contacted the examination boards, and am currently discussing with them arrangements for retakes of O-level and A-level examinations next winter, where parents and pupils wish it.

31. Mr. Hannam

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in the light of the experience of recent events, what further action she is taking to ensure that schools stay open during industrial disputes.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave today to questions from the hon. Members for Christchurch and Lymington (Mr. Adley) and for Rutland and Stamford (Mr. Lewis).

5. Mr. George Gardiner

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have been closed for one day or more since 22 January as a result of industrial action by public service employees.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

Just under 2,000 schools have been closed for one day or more since 22 January because of industrial action by public service workers. This represents about 7½ per cent. of the total number of maintained primary and secondary schools in England. Most of the longer closures of a week or more which affected about 900 schools—3½ per cent. of the total—were in the area of eight local education authorities.