Striking teachers will be paid, officials fear, with unions set to force the closure of classrooms at the vast majority of schools on Wednesday.
More than 100,000 members of the National Education Union are expected to walk out in the most disruptive teachers’ strike in more than a decade, with 85 per cent of schools in England and Wales set to close to some or all year groups.
However, schools have made the decision to close without knowing which teachers will actually be on strike because of laws that mean union members cannot be forced to tell their bosses.
On Tuesday night, concerns were raised that this could enable striking teachers to claim that they are working and therefore be paid.
In a letter to all schools, Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, told head teachers that any striking staff must not be paid.
