Thousands of schools across England were fully or partially closed on Wednesday as teachers vowed to continue taking strike action until the government resumed talks over pay and working conditions.
The national strike by members of the National Education Union, the largest teachers’ union in England, was the fourth since February, with a fifth national strike scheduled for next Tuesday.
Only pupils taking GCSEs, A-levels or equivalent qualifications were exempted from the strike action after the union allowed headteachers to make local agreements to keep classes open for those taking exams next month.
There was palpable anger among the hundreds of NEU members who attended the union’s rally at Oxford town hall, amid complaints of pay being eroded by inflation, as well as high workload and crumbling school facilities due to budget cuts.
Natalie, a modern foreign languages secondary school teacher, said: “Why am I angry? It’s because my payslip doesn’t compensate me for the dedication, effort and sheer number of hours I put into my work.”
