School pilots GCSE module on Miners' Strike

Mexborough School is the first in Rotherham to pilot a course dedicated to the strike and the aim is to educate young people about its significance.

The overall goal is to see every school in South Yorkshire feature the historical event on the curriculum.

Roy Huggins, head of history, said: “We've been studying our current module since September and it’s proving to be very popular with our students as it’s relevant and based upon a turning point in local history. 

“The Miners' Strike is an exciting, engaging subject and if we can successfully roll it out, we hope that every secondary school in South Yorkshire will consider delivering it to their students.

“We believe that the Miners’ Strike is central to helping young people in the area understand who they are, where they come from and the challenges that their communities have had to face over the past 25 years in order to survive the consequences.”

Mr Huggins said that because of a lack of school textbooks on the subject, research and interviews with people associated with the strike had played a vital role in the students’ studies.

Dave Douglas, who co-ordinated the flying pickets in Doncaster for the NUM, has already visited the school to talk about his experiences and artist Rachel Horne held a workshop on the impact of the strike on the lives of local women.

“There is no denying that there were negative aspects to the strike,” added Mr Huggins, “but you can not but admire the brave stand that the miners took to protect their jobs and communities.

“We can all learn a lot today from the community spirit and the collectivism that united the miners and their families.”

The school is asking anyone who has photographs or who is willing to share their stories about the strike to email [email protected].