Teaching staff on strike over 'virtual teacher'

Teaching staff have gone on strike at a Lancashire school over a decision which sees some students taught by a "virtual teacher" based in Devon.

Members of the National Education Union (NEU) at the Valley Leadership Academy in Bacup voted to take two days of action, with the second scheduled for 10 December.

From September, top-set pupils, in years 9-11 have had a "virtual" maths teacher alongside a maths teacher present in the classroom, something the NEU has called for to be removed.

Star Academies which runs the school said the initiative was "a small-scale, targeted response to the national shortage of specialist maths teachers."

Emily Cooke teaches maths at the school and is the union rep.

She was the on the picket line - she explained why she was protesting: "I will not stand back and allow the teaching profession to be downgraded and diminished into just imparting knowledge over a team's call."

Star Academies says children should not face disruption to their education because of recruitment challenges and called the move "a win win" adding that it was "about equality and social justice - ensuring that all children have the same opportunities to succeed."

It added: "Pupils benefit from lessons delivered by an outstanding specialist teacher online, supported in the classroom by a second teacher who facilitates learning and engagement, this co-teaching model ensures pupils receive excellent teaching and enables us to grow the next generation of teachers."

In response, Emily Cooke said: "Is the teaching profession just about imparting knowledge and red pen feedback or is it a much much bigger profession, is it about the pastoral side, that teacher relationship between the teacher and student?"

"It will always be a human endeavour based upon human interaction that cannot be formed or replicated over a screen or over the internet."

The NEU is now demanding that the virtual teacher be removed.

Star Academies said it was disappointed that the strike action was going ahead and that it had "addressed every concern raised" and remained "committed to working positively with our NEU colleagues to resolve this matter."

The school has remained open during the strike.