Teachers in the Eastern, West Midlands, East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside regions are today on strike in the latest of a series of actions over pay, pensions, working conditions and jobs.
Hundreds of schools are expected to close as members of both NASUWT and NUT continue their action against the government.
NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: “The overwhelming majority of teachers in all four regions will be on strike today.
“Strike action is a last resort, teachers have been left with no choice but to demonstrate their anger and frustration in the face of their genuine concerns being dismissed and trivialised.
“Teachers of course deeply regret any disruption to children and families. Such action would have been unnecessary had the Secretary of State been prepared to engage in genuine discussions.
“Teachers are asking nothing more of the Secretary of State than to recognise that their pay and conditions of service are directly linked to the provision of high quality education and that their concerns cannot simply be ignored.”
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said:“At the start of the new academic year, the last thing teachers wish to be doing is preparing for further industrial action. It is a great shame that the Education Secretary has let things get to this stage.
“Michael Gove has demoralised an entire profession, it is time that he started to listen for the sake of teachers, pupils and education.”
The action will spread to the North East, Cumbria, London, the South East and South West on October 17th.
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