Schools are being urged to prioritise vulnerable kids and the children of critical workers on strike days as well as pupils preparing for formal exams. Teachers are acting after being left angry over the Government's 5% pay offer for most experienced staff, which amounts to a 5% real terms wage cut due to high inflation, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
There were 563,831 full time teachers in the UK in the 2021/22 academic year, the latest official data shows but not all members will walk out at the same time.It has been reported 23,400 schools in England and Wales will be hit by the first day of industrial action on February 1. There will be seven days of rolling strikes and some will be across England and Wales while others will only affect some regions in England.
The Government has encouraged schools to take"all reasonable steps to keep the school open for as many pupils as possible" - but the decision to close will be made by heads. When it comes to academies, the academy trust will decide whether to shut. Support staff can provide supervision for lessons or oversee other activities but rules say classes must be taught by qualified teachers. There is no limit on how many pupils over seven years old can be looked after by a teacher.