More disruption as latest school strikes get underway
Teachers in the West Country are joining walkouts today
Last updated 5th Jul 2023
Striking teachers in the West Country are today picketing outside schools, taking part in marches and joining a regional rally in Exeter or Bristol.
It's the latest in a long-running row with the Government over pay and funding and a Department for Education spokesperson said: "Any strike action is hugely damaging. We have made a fair and reasonable pay offer to teachers, recognising their incredible work and commitment."
There'll also be a march from Paignton to Torquay this morning, as well as picket lines across Somerset in the seventh day individual schools in England have faced walkouts by NEU teacher members this year.
Education union leaders have warned that further strike action in the autumn term is likely if the ongoing pay dispute remains unresolved.
The Government offered teachers a ÂŁ1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% rise for staff next year after intensive talks with the education unions earlier this year.
But all four education unions involved in the dispute rejected the offer and the decision on teachers' pay in England for next year has been passed to the independent School Teachers' Review Body (STRB).
There are fears that pupils could miss out on end-of-year activities - including concerts, school trips, sports days and opportunities to meet new classmates - during the two strike days this week.
A poll by Teacher Tapp, of 6,952 teachers in England on June 19, found that only a third said there were no transition days, trips, sports days, concerts or performances, or work experience placements scheduled for the strike dates.
Mike Gurney, Joint secretary of Devon NEU and part of the South West NEU as well as being a teacher at Okehampton College, said: "Teachers are demanding a better pay deal and also for that pay to be properly funded. School teachers pay has declined in real terms by 20% since 2010.
"This is one of the reasons why many teachers are quitting the classroom and why too few are being recruited – last year 40,000 left before retirement and applications for teacher training in secondary are barely half of what is needed.
"This has led to a crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, with schools struggling to fill vacancies.
“We are reluctantly taking this action and I would like to apologise to pupils and parents for the impact that it will have. But we have no alternative. Gillian Keegan, the Secretary of State for Education, said that she would not talk to the unions while we were taking action, and that we should wait for the report of the School Teachers Pay Review Body to see what pay was recommended. The NEU has done that – we have taken no strike action during the exam period for the last two months. And the STRB has given its report to Government.
"However Gillian Keegan refuses to publish the STRB report, which is widely expected to recommend a 6.5% increase. H
"aving said that we should abide by the STRB recommendation it is reported that the Government will now refuse to implement it. And she refuses to talk to or engage with the unions. The strikes are the fault of one person, and one person only, Gillian Keegan. She could avoid these strikes if she picks up the phone and speaks to the NEU and invites them into serious talks about the STRB report.”
Annie Bennett, teacher and NEU rep at The Kings School in Ottery St Mary added: “Without immediate and sincere commitments from Gillian Keegan regarding schools' funding, the future of education for the majority of students in England is at serious risk. Postpandemic, students need their schools and teachers to be supportive providers of care and quality education. Without financial support, this is impossible as we cannot recruit or retain staff never mind repair buildings, provide enrichment activities or personalised pastoral care that meets the ever-increasing mental, emotional and physical health needs of this generation. This is why we strike. We strike for the futures of our young people, communities and the future of our society. We don't want to strike. We want to teach young people because we care.”
Stuart Armley-Jones, teacher and NEU rep at Holbeton Primary said: “We are striking for more than salaries; we stand for the soul of education. The glee of a glue stick giveaway should not be the highlight of our week. We’re on strike because our pupils’ futures need more than Pritt Stick to hold it together. We pour our hearts into teaching 'for the children,' but goodwill doesn’t pay our bills. We are standing up to fervently fight for a fully-funded pay rise. If not, it's not just us who suffer but also some of our most crucial colleagues - our teaching assistants - who bear the brunt and potentially lose their jobs. Should our school buildings be left to rot? Is it right for funds meant for EHCPs to be siphoned off into supply costs? Don't our children deserve specialist teachers? We're stuck in a vicious recruitment and retention crisis, and there's only one route to resolution: truly valuing teachers.”
Members of the NEU went on strike across England on February 1, March 15 and 16, April 27 and May 2, and regional walkouts took place between February 28 and March 2.
During the most recent strikes on May 2, Department for Education (DfE) data suggests that 50% of state schools in England were open but restricting attendance and 5% were fully closed.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "This week's strikes are a problem of the Government's making through its neglect of education and refusal to resume formal negotiations with unions.
"Unless the Government changes its approach then there will likely be further strikes in the autumn term."
On Tuesday, education union leaders called on the Ms Keegan to urgently publish the STRB's pay recommendation as they warned the hold-up is causing "anxiety" in schools and "frustrating headteachers".
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "We have repeatedly called for the Government to publish the STRB's pay recommendation for next year and to restart negotiations. It is in their hands to end this strike action, but they are refusing to engage."
A DfE spokesperson said: "Any strike action is hugely damaging. We have made a fair and reasonable pay offer to teachers, recognising their incredible work and commitment.
"Thousands of schools received significant additional funding as part of the extra Ă‚ÂŁ2 billion of investment we are providing both this year and next.
"As a result, school funding will be at its highest level in history next year, as measured by the IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies)."