Teachers hold day of action over pay

THOUSANDS of pupils were off in Runcorn and Widnes on Tuesday due to a teachers strike.

Members of the National Union Of Teachers (NUT) downed tools to protect pay and conditions and to demand more funding after 91.7% voted in favour of action.

Halton Borough Council said 15 schools were open, 20 partially open and 20 closed.

St Chad’s Catholic And Church Of England High School was shut, as were The Heath and The Grange schools.

In Runcorn, Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy was in as usual but Year 7 was off. Sandymoor School was in as usual.

In Widnes, Wade Deacon was open for Years 7 and 8, Year 9 was off and most Year 10 students were on work experience and Year 11 finished the term early for their GCSEs.

Sts Peter And Paul Catholic College was off. Ormiston Chadwick Academy was open.

Some primary schools were in while others were off.

Kevin Courtney, NUT acting general secretary, said school funding cuts were having a ‘real and damaging’ effect on children’s education, with increasing class sizes and pupils suffering reduced individual attention.

He said pressures include teachers being made redundant or not being replaced when they leave.

Nicky Morgan, education secretary, has said school funding has never been higher at £40bn.

She also accused the strike of damaging children’s education.

The NUT claimed a ‘crisis’ is unfolding.

Mr Courtney said: “There is worse to come, with the Institute Of Fiscal Studies predicting that the biggest real terms cuts to per pupil funding in a generation are on the way.

“There is already a teacher recruitment and retention crisis in our schools.

“Without significant change to the pay and working condition of teachers, this will simply deepen.

“We know that many parents share our concerns.”