More disruption as latest school strikes get underway
Teachers in Cornwall are joining walkouts today
Striking teachers in Cornwall are picketing outside schools today (Wednesday 5 July), taking part in marches and joining a regional rally in Truro.
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."
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.
Ian Williams, Branch Secretary of Cornwall and IoS NEU and a teacher at Richard Lander School said: "The Government states that funding is at an all-time high – however this ignores the fact that there are a million more pupils than there were in 2010.
"Pay and funding and the crisis in recruiting and keeping staff are all linked. Poor pay means support staff can get paid more elsewhere and that teachers are not being recruited. Unless pay rises are fully funded it just leads to more cuts."
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)."