The world seems to be in serious economic turmoil,and it’s getting worse.

As a teacher, one of the things I do with classes, particularly if they have a double period, is to give them a general knoweldge and current affairs quiz to see what they know.

Sometimes it is nothing short of depressing to find out how little they know about the world they live in. Families no longer seem to buy newspapers, and whilst the know what Peter and Jordan are up to, there’s seemingly very little awareness of their own history or what’s going on in the world. ‘What’s this got to do with me?’ The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist…

Whilst my parents and I haven’t always agreed on politics, at least they encouraged me to take an interest in the world around me and to get involved.

As a teacher in Scotland, two days have been given up to striking by Unison, whose workers not unreasonably want a decent wage. Living where we do, the impact of HBOS being bought out is still waiting to be felt.

I don’t put my political views down my students’ throats, it isn’t on, though I will rip shreds off kids who make racist remarks (the Polish are getting a lot of stick around where I teach), but it depresses me to think that people think that politics cannot change the world, or that it has nothing to do with them.

So, in support of the workers and those who are really struggling at the moment, these are for you:

Billy Bragg -‘There Is Power In A union.’ mp3

These are two different versions of the Angelic Upstarts’ track ‘Solidarity. First the video…

…and a different recording of the song

Angelic Upstarts -‘Solidarity.’ mp3