In the southern suburbs of Edinburgh, a 40 minute walk from main campus, the Kings buildings sit proudly, an oasis of scientific knowledge and objective truth that’s set far apart from the humanities and arts. But its not just in focus and geographical location that the STEM subjects at Edinburgh are distinct from the humanities. As has become apparent over the past year, the sciences are also different in their approach to strikes.
Previously, many STEM lecturers – including maths, physics, biological sciences – haven’t gone on strike, but this time around sees more science students being affected. I caught up with some second year STEM students, some whose classes will be affected and some whose won’t, to see how they felt about experiencing strikes, and how they will support the strike when their classes are still running.
“I don’t mind it,” Emma, a second year maths student, tells me, “if they just cut out sections and we’re not tested on them”. Focusing on the short term, she sees the lighter side: the content she’s missing won’t be on exams, and as a supporter of the strikes she feels sympathy with the lecturers. When I ask why she thinks her maths lecturers have decided to take action this time around the answer is simple: frustration. Nothing seems to be changing. And so, it seems, the anger has spread as far as Kings campus.
For Emma there’s some excitement about striking: last year she felt like she was missing out when other people were affected but she wasn’t. She goes on to explain that, as a Scottish student, she appreciates her viewpoint is different from some of her course mates because her tuition is free.
Whilst there’s understanding in the short term, when I chat to STEM students about the long term, they’re more concerned. Unlike many humanities courses, science classes build on each other so if you miss one week you can’t just skip it. “I might end up doing courses next year that require knowledge I don’t have,” Emma explains. Erin, a second year chemistry student, talks about a more imminent impact: “the topic we’re not being taught [this week] is the foundation for next”, so it’s up to her to keep on top of the work she’s missing so she doesn’t fall further behind.
What about those who aren’t experiencing strikes? When I ask students with teachers who aren’t striking how they can support, the outlook is bleak. Few see the point in striking when staff aren’t, partly because content is so linked that missing content is too great of a risk for final exams. Others are simply realistic, and Erin tells me that it seems pointless unless the whole class strikes.
And so you’re stuck. Wanting to support strikes, but understandably being put in a position where the stakes are higher than many humanities students. For some it’s not just the fear of missing crucial content: economics students face lower grades if they strike and miss tutorials, with attendance making up a small, but still – for some – vital part of their grade.
Yet for STEM students experiencing strikes, this is an unusual time of change. These strikes seem to have gained more momentum than usual, but only time will tell whether STEM’s solidarity, and this continued industrial action, will actually amount to any meaningful change.
“King’s Buildings Campus, Edinburgh” by Open.Ed is licensed under CC BY 2.0.