Thousands of pupils across York will have to stay at home as teachers go on strike again.
The latest round of National Education Union (NEU) strikes in England began yesterday (April 27), following 98 per cent of its teacher members rejecting the Government’s pay and funding offer.
They will strike again next week on Tuesday, May 2, and as a result, schools and colleges will be fully or partially closed that day - meaning classes will only be held for some year groups.
This action is part of the campaign to win a fully funded, above inflation pay rise, the union says.
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All of York’s secondary schools will be partially closed on Tuesday, as they were on Thursday, as well as most of the primary schools.
Three of York’s primary schools will be fully closed: Clifton Green, Fishergate and Yearsley.
Two of York’s special schools – Deansgate and Hob Moor Oaks – will be partially closed again, and it has not been confirmed whether Applefields will remain open as it did on Thursday.
Kevin Courtney and Dr Mary Bousted, the General Secretaries of the National Education Union, have said that teachers have suffered a 23 per cent real terms pay against inflation since 2010.
"The fact that NEU members are again reluctantly having to take strike action symbolises the complete failure by the Government to make a serious and credible pay and funding offer to the profession,” they said.
“The Government has spent the whole of April doing nothing about our dispute.
"Teachers have lost 23 per cent in real terms against inflation since 2010. This is part of the problem of recruitment and retention, and the Government needs to recognise that and create a correction in teacher pay if we’re going to have the physics teachers, the chemistry teachers, and the primary teachers which our children need.
“We will also be re-balloting to ensure that the campaign for a fully-funded pay rise continues in step with members’ wishes.
“The Education Secretary has washed her hands of the matter, but she risks looking foolish. Her abdication of responsibility is failing teachers, parents and children.
"Gillian Keegan (Secretary of State for Education) needs to realise that this issue is not going away and must start treating it with the seriousness it deserves.”
A Department of Education spokesperson said: “Following a week negotiating in good faith, the Government offered teachers a £1,000 payment on top of this year’s pay rise, a commitment to cut workload by five hours per week, and a headline pay increase of 4.5 per cent for next year – above both inflation and average earnings growth.
“The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half-a-billion pounds, and helps tackle issues teachers are facing like workload.
“NEU, NAHT and ASCL’s decision to reject this offer will simply result in more disruption for children.”
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