…By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
Thousands of teachers in England will go on strike on April 27 and May 2, due to an ongoing dispute over pay.
These are the fourth and fifth days of national strikes by the National Education Union (NEU) this year.
The NEU has said that it will “work to avoid disruption” to year 11s’ and 13s’ education during these dates, as they face exams.
However, if the pay dispute remains unresolved, the NEU may consult on three further strike days in the summer term.
During the first round of strikes, 10% of schools were completely closed and, in the last round, it was 8%.
Some schools that were completely closed in the first strikes shifted to partially open in the latest action, according to data.
The NEU has confirmed that members will be taking action in London, and the decision on whether to close schools will be left to headteachers.
In England, schools should open if possible, the Government says.
Some parents may only be told about a closure on the morning itself, once staff numbers are known, as teachers do not have to inform their schools if they plan to take strike action.
Schools have no minimum staffing rules, and headteachers can use agency staff or volunteers.
Parents in England and Wales can check for school closures in their local area by entering their postcode into the government website, whereas those in Scotland and Northern Ireland can check on their local council websites.
The long-running dispute over pay is the reason behind the strikes.
NEU members want a pay rise of 12%, but the government has offered an increase of only 5%.
The union argues that teachers’ pay has fallen by 24% since 2010, due to inflation.
The government is also refusing to provide funding to cover the pay rises.
The NAHT also wants pay increases, as well as progress on school funding, workloads, and recruitment and retention processes.
The NEU has said it will not provide sustentation payments or hardship funds for members taking part in strikes.
The NEU Trust Fund, set up to support members and their families who are suffering hardship for other reasons, will not pay strike pay.
The union said members would receive a deduction of salary for any days they are on strike, with teachers in local authority-maintained schools losing 1/365th of annual pay.
In February, members of the NEU went on strike, and in March the union announced more strikes after a deal with the government could not be reached.
At the time, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson criticised the action, stating that “further disruption” was not the right course of action.
In response, NEU’s joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said that “striking is not what teachers want to do” and that the NEU was open to discussions with the government.
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