List of striking teachers

[Motherland2624]

Hi
one of my sons is in the upper sixth of the local grammar school
the headmistress has just sent a list of striking teachers (for our information)
to get a idea of what our child’s day is going to look like
do you think this is a power move by the head trying to name and shame the teachers
I think it’s totally unnecessary its a legal right to strike
strike or not I support all teachers in their choice
just wondering on peoples opinions ?

Doesn't that fall under the heading of misguidedly breaking data protection laws? If you were of a mind to cause mischief you could very well cause her problems.

Clearly for younger pupils, you couldn't have them backwards and forwards all day, but you could easily have a later than normal start or an earlier than normal finish, e.g. 'Year 10, your first lesson of the day will be P2, you should arrive at school for 9.45am and register directly with your P2 teacher. The library will be available for private study for any pupils wishing to arrive earlier.'

Totally illegal and they’ll have the union on their backs

Far from the HT sending emails with striking teachers names to shame them, she had a boombox in the playground 😂proper microphone set-up!

I forget the exact figures, but the strike was about high school teachers getting a 3% payrise and primary teachers getting 1% - so the curriculum was switched around for my son's class to focus on the number 3 that week. There was a project 'What has 3?' - triangles, Goldilocks & 3 Bears, football hattrick, high school teachers!

They really talked to the (older) kids about it; about not accepting less than you deserve, unfair treatment between 2 parties etc.

It wasn't at all about funding or improving the school as there's no probelms there - plenty books, resources etc., it was purely teacher salaries and the support was massive. So beneficial for the kids to do it this way.

Something similar happened a few years ago in a university I used to work in.

Is such behaviour even legal? I doubt it.

I have emailed the head of year and she asked if she could foward to headmistress
also put it on twitter tagging school and union in

My ds is in a comprehensive Sixth Form and he was sent a list of teachers who are in today so he knew whether or not to turn up to lessons. His school is open for year 11 and for some year 12/13 classes.
The list of who is in today could be used to work out who is not hence who is striking but I think that's fair enough.

Holy fuck that's appalling behaviour from the head.

Of course its OK to say which classes are closing - my school is closed to ALL y7-y10 but there will be a good number of teachers not striking whose classes aren't in school.

I'd be sending that on to the teachers and the governors, really bad.

Good. The headteacher has behaved appallingly. I'd consider a complaint to the governors citing a potential data breach.

What other gdpr rules would you be ok with the school breaking?

It would be a list of:

• teachers striking
• teachers with childcare issues meaning they can’t attend work
• teachers who are unwell
• teachers who are on courses
• teachers on short-term leave (like paternity)
• teachers off for ad hoc reasons (like moving house, an important funeral or compassionate grounds etc)

People might think they know from that list who is striking but they’d be wrong. In OP’s case, they’d be correct.

I got a reply from the head
I don’t think her last point was valid as there had been continuous communication about the plans for today everyone was aware

Her last point is valid. If staff have given permission for it to be shared, it's not a GDPR breach. I think you have gone in very heavy handed here.

It's not. She doesn't know which of the staff on that list have told their classes. And those who did, chose their audiences. They didn't give permission for all the parents of all the pupils to be told.

Head's response is not OK in my opinion. Head seems to be sorry for sharing non striking teacher names, but sees absolutely no problem with sharing striking teachers names. From a GDPR standpoint the striking teachers will be NEU, and their NEU membership is a Special Category data that can only be processed or disclosed with informed consent.

As PP says, whilst some teachers may have communicated to students directly that they were striking, those same teachers are unlikely to have given the head/school consent to share such information to others (parents). So it still rings of a GDPR failure to me.

Basically I can tell friends, acquaintances and colleagues whatever I like. It's my choice. But if its data that my company holds, my employer cannot share that same information with anyone without my permission. It's pretty basic stuff, and I'm surprised that not everyone understands that.

At least she’s accepted she’s wrong

my boss emailed me last week sniffing around asking if I knew who was striking. I ignored the email 😁

I suppose that DC's school did this as they listed which classes are closed due to the strikes, and as a primary that equated to the classes whose teacher was striking. Although I guess it could've included those who couldn't get childcare for their own children.

Shouldn’t be a head teacher because he/she has no leadership skills whatsoever. You cover for your staff as a headteacher, not throw them to the wolves.

Wow I'm not sure that's legal and if it is it shouldn't be

I am an NEU rep and I don't know who was striking in my school. We certainly weren't sent a list of who was in and who was off and I would have been furious if that had been sent anywhere.

@Motherland2624
why did you feel it necessary to raise with the head out of interest?

I think that breaks GDPR rules

Is Head even allowed to do that. GDPR wise?

I think the teachers demands are too much. Aren't they asking for 12%? The Government can't meet the demands of all those striking : trains, ambulance, nurses, teachers, everyone. There has to be a compromise.

Why wouldn't she?