On what will be the most pivotal day of union action in more than a decade, teachers will go on strike next week along with machinists, civil servants, university teachers, bus drivers and security guards from seven unions.
Following the addition of tens of thousands of new members to the National Education Union (NEU), a union official has predicted many schools will be closed during strikes starting Wednesday, February 1. Here are all the details of planned strike dates and how they could affect public schools in London.
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When are the strike dates for teachers?
Following a recent vote by the unions, the following dates have been designated for teachers’ strikes in the London area:
- Wednesday 1 February (All schools in England and Wales)
- Thursday March 2 (South East and South West England and London)
- Wednesday 15 March (All schools in England and Wales)
- Thursday 16 March (All schools in England and Wales)
Will my child’s school close if teachers go on strike?
Each school’s circumstances will be unique based on the number of teachers participating in the strike and the parts of the school they support. Sutton Council recently stated that some schools could remain open to all students, some may be partially open to some students, and some may have to close altogether.
The education secretary and staff are urged to notify the director if they intend to strike. However, the law does not require individual teachers to indicate whether they wish to do so. The timing of notifying parents of closures is also not regulated. This suggests that many parents are still waiting to hear whether they should organize childcare on February 1.
There are no minimum staffing requirements or guidelines when a school is operating, and the Department of Education encourages the use of agency workers and volunteers to cover classes on strike days. However, schools are still expected to remain open, if practical. They are not required to follow the curriculum. Although not necessary, schools can offer students distance learning at home.
Before a planned strike, the NEU is required by law to inform schools of the number of members working there; but the union is under no obligation to provide employers with the identities of specific members. Schools must provide free lunches to eligible children who cannot attend during strikes. In this case, food packages may need to be delivered.
Read some of the recent news items we’ve written about current Teacher events:
According to NEU general secretary Mary Bousted, London schools are expected to endure much of the disruption. Asked how many teachers might strike next week, she said:
“More than 100,000 for sure, but I think a lot more than that.”
“Many schools are closing. In areas where the NEU is the largest union and has a very strong density, such as London, many schools will be closed. she added.
Why are teachers on strike?
Most teachers have received 5% salary increases from the Department for Education (DfE) for the current school year, but the NEU wants teachers to receive fully funded pay increases above inflation. After taking into account rising costs, reports the Institute for Fiscal Studies that between 2010 and 2022, teachers’ salaries in England fell by an average of 11%.
Mary Bousted and Mr Courtney, Joint Secretaries of the NEU, said in a statement:
“We have continuously raised our concerns with successive education secretaries about the remuneration of teachers and support staff, and its funding in schools and colleges, but instead of trying to solve the problem, they have sat on their hands.
“We have continuously raised concerns with successive education secretaries about teacher and support staff pay and funding in schools and colleges, but instead of trying to solve the problem, they have sat on their hands.” @MaryBoustedNEU #SaveOurSchools! #Pay! pic.twitter.com/WFLFwDQ8PG
— National Education Union (@NEUnion) January 17, 2023
“It is disappointing that the government would rather talk about even more draconian anti-strike legislation than work with us to address the root causes of strike action.”
