Icelandic Teachers’ Association strike keeps over two thousand schoolchildren at home

Over two thousand schoolchildren in Iceland have been staying at home in recent days due to a strike by the Icelandic Teachers’ Association. Progress in negotiations with the government and municipalities has been minimal, and further strikes could extend into the new year.

The strike affects families across the country, impacting over a thousand households. Teachers are intermittently refusing to work, with the current phase affecting about twelve hundred elementary students, many preschoolers, and around eight hundred high school students.

Inga Rún Ólafsdóttir, the chairperson of the municipal negotiating committee, stated that discussions would continue today. She emphasized the importance of dialogue, saying, “It is crucial for parties to sit down and talk.”

Teachers have approved strikes in additional schools for later this year, including Árbayjarskóli in Reykjavik, Garðaskóli in Garðabær, and Heiðarskóli in Reykjanesbær.

Magnús Þór Jónsson, chair of the Teachers’ Association, has not ruled out the possibility that strikes could extend into 2025. He noted that they would need to consider whether to prepare other schools for more actions by the end of the year or to increase the number of participating schools in the current strike.

The ongoing situation highlights significant challenges in achieving an agreement between educators and government authorities in Iceland, as both sides continue negotiations amidst rising tensions.