South Yorkshire parents frustrated ahead of teachers' strike
Teachers are walking out tomorrow, with many schools closing as a result - but some South Yorkshire parents are struggling to sort childcare.
There's frustration among some South Yorkshire parents ahead of a big teacher's strike tomorrow.
It's thought most schools in the county will be affected when National Union of Teachers (NUT) members walk out tomorrow in protest at funding cuts to education.
The NUT insist that they are not taking action lightly, and are calling for a fairer deal for schools.
But some parents are struggling to sort childcare, with many being told about school closures at short notice.
Denise Mills' daughter will be off school in Sheffield tomorrow as it's closed - she works from home as a cake decorator in Hillsborough.
She's told Hallam that working parents will be affected by strike action:
"I've got cakes booked in this week - it's too short notice to cancel. I understand why they're striking but it's an inconvenience for a lot of parents. My daughter's already said 'what are we doing on Tuesday?' I'll be baking, I can't do anything special. I've got my day planned."
"They (the teachers) need to stand up to the Government, but I think a lot of parents who are working can't get that time off, so they have to take the term time holidays. They're getting penalised for that because it's affecting the child's education. The ones who are working full time jobs can't just phone in and ask for the day off because teachers are on strike".
Denise says childcare isn't readily available for her daughter at short notice:
"It's not always possible, especially for the ones who work for the NHS. It's not as easy as they're making out to get that childcare. It is very short notice. I don't even know the real reason why they're striking this time."
The NUT is the largest teachers' union, and 91.7% of members voted in favour of strike action when balloted.
Toby Mallinson, the Sheffield Joint Divisional Secretary, says financial pressures are increasing on schools:
"According to the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies, schools are facing the worst funding cuts since the 1970s. This is impacting heavily on the choices and decisions that head teachers in Sheffield and around the country have to make. We are already seeing an increase in class sizes, a reduction in subject choices for children, especially in the Arts, less materials and books in classrooms and cuts to school trips".
In a statement, the NUT Acting General Secretary Kevin Courtney said that many parents are supportive of the decision to strike:
"There is already a teacher recruitment and retention crisis in our schools. Without significant change to the pay and working condition of teachers, this will simply deepen. We know that many parents share our concerns".