Essex teachers strike over pay
It means potential disruptions for parents and students"
Thousands of teachers in Essex will participate in day two of a three-day strike over pay, today, causing potential disruptions for parents and students.
The National Education Union (NEU) members in the region are set to walk out until Thursday as part of the ongoing dispute, along with other areas in England and Wales.
The strikes started yesterday in some places but they're only in Essex today.
According to Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, the strikes are expected to affect a majority of schools, with some facing full closures and others partial closures. Picket lines will be mounted outside schools, and rallies will be held across the region.
Parents in Essex may need to arrange alternative childcare or take time off work due to the walkouts. In a message to parents, Mr Courtney expressed his sincere apologies for the disruptions to their children's education on the strike days.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stated that the impact of the strikes in Essex is likely to be similar to other regions, with the Government's failure to find a solution to the dispute and chronic underfunding of schools leading to industrial action and a severe shortage of teachers.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has condemned the strike action, calling it "unforgivable" and stating that children deserve to be in class, especially after the pandemic. Ms Keegan has invited the teaching unions to "formal talks on pay, conditions and reform," but the NEU has called for the Education Secretary to drop preconditions to talks and make a "serious" offer on pay to avert national walkouts on March 15 and 16.