Disruption for parents in our region as teachers go on strike
It's in a dispute over funding cuts. pay and working conditions.
There's huge disruption for thousands of parents in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire today as teachers take part in national strike action.
The walkout by members of the National Union of Teachers is in a dispute with the government over funding cuts, pay and working conditions.
Almost 70 schools are affected and have had to either fully close or partially shut for the day.
We've been asking parents here if they support the walkout. Cottingham Dad Craig Murdock told us:
"When parents are taking children out of school for cheap holidays they are getting fined but then they have got to find childcare when teachers go on strike so I can understand both sides of it but I'm certainly not happy about it either.
"My wife and I both work full time and we have had to arrange childcare so it is an added expense that we could have done without.
"We both work in the public sector too and we could have taken annual leave but we weren't prepared to do that because we are already off for 6 weeks in the summer. It's not an ideal situation but I do sympathise with teachers a little bit but I'm also disappointed too."
One mum said: "If teachers don't like conditions, then they should get another job like anybody else would do". While another said: "I think it's a bit unnecessary, are conditions really that bad?".
But some parents are in support of the action. One mum told us:
"Whatever terms and conditions they want, they should go for it. I've arranged for my children to go to their grandparents so it doesn't matter too much for me."
Mike Whale is the branch secretary of Hull's NUT and insists the disruption is necessary. He told Viking:
"I would hope that parents would recognise that this is not about teachers being greedy for themselves, this is about taking action to try and defend education and in the long run although it might cause hardship for one day, i9f we achieve what we want then it will be better for parents, children and communities in the long run if we are successful.
"There is the work that is seen when schools are open, but then the average teacher then goes home and works a further 4-5 hours a night to keep on top of marking and planning and quite often they spend their weekends catching up with that work so the work life balance for teachers is being stripped away from them.
"This strike is to defend teachers' rights and conditions but it is also in the interests of education as a whole so that we have stable teaching staff and schools that are propely equipped and funded so that pupils can get the education that they deserve."
The Department for Education say £40bn is being invested in UK schools this year - the highest it's ever been.
A letter from Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, to the NUT said:
"To suggest we aren’t prioritising school funding is disingenuous. The significance we place on education is demonstrated by the fact that we are investing more than any previous government in our schools.
"This year the schools budget will total around £40bn, an increase of around £4 billion since 2011-12, so it is now the highest it has ever been.
"Additionally, the schools budget has been protected in real terms going forward, at a time when other areas of spending are having to be reduced in order to control the public finances, education has rightly been protected, reflecting precisely where our priorities lie."
Viking will be speaking to teachers on the picket line in our region later.