School open for lessons on unions

A head teacher has persuaded staff to abandon strike plans and keep their school open in exchange for teaching pupils about the history of the unions.

Gugsy Ahmed denied the day at Parkinson Lane Community Primary School, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, would be spent lecturing children about the strikes.

Mr Ahmed said the focus of the day was on "people who have reformed the world - made the world a better place".

He dismissed claims that he was trying to politicise his pupils.

Mr Ahmed said he was pleased to have been able to keep the school open when many in the surrounding area had been forced to close.

What I'm not doing is pushing my political opinions Head teacher Gugsy Ahmed

He said negotiations with support staff and teachers, some of whom had agreed to come out in support of their colleagues, had been lengthy but he believed the compromise was worth it.

"The staff here have every empathy with the strikers," he said. "It's been a very fine balance. For me strike action is very much the last possible sanction.

"People have said this is political but for me classrooms have always been political - full of argument, debate and opinions.

"At the last general election we ran a campaign in school with children running for each of the parties.

"I think that's very appropriate. What I'm not doing is pushing my political opinions. We are keeping it straight down the middle and letting the children make up their own minds."

Pupils began their day with an assembly on Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and later focused on the miners strike, including Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill, the benefits of the unions and the rights of young children.