Hundreds of children across Nottinghamshire are out of school for a day as teachers stage a one-day strike.
The local branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) is joining the national action over pay and working conditions.
Around 400 people took part in a protest march from the Forest Recreation Ground to Old Market Square in the morning.
Nottinghamshire County Council said 21 schools in its area shut completely today, with others partially open.
Inside the city boundary Bulwell Academy was among a number of schools affected – it was closed to all students from years seven to 13.
However, the majority of schools across the city and county were open as normal.
Sheena Wheatley of Nottingham city NUT: ‘We’re on strike because 1 in 5 teachers are at risk’ #nutstrike pic.twitter.com/T6jUHjZktx
— Chris Breese (@ChrisBNottsTV) July 5, 2016
Kevin Courtney, acting general secretary of the NUT, said: “The union is not taking action lightly. In light of the huge funding cuts to schools, worsening terms and conditions, and unmanageable and exhausting workloads, teachers cannot be expected to go on without significant change.”
Nottingham parents have been divided over the action.
Rose Standen, of Hucknall, said: “I wouldn’t do that job for a million pounds – they deserve every penny they can get, good luck to them.”
But Stephen Atkinson said: “Other people in this country haven’t had pay rises and had to deal with wage cuts, budget cuts, why should teachers be any different, they should be happy they have a job.”
Why strike now? The NUT’s key claims and arguments
- Funding cuts – the NUT says the value of funding in education will fall by 10 per cent or more by 2020
- This is because the Government is freezing funding per pupil and imposing higher NI & pension costs
- The union is also concerned about teacher workload, and is demanding class sizes are limited to 30 pupils
- It is also against a proposed “national funding formula” – and says it will actually take money away from around half of all schools.
But education secretary Nicky Morgan said the action is “unnecessary” and in a letter to the union accused it of “playing politics with children’s futures”.
“To suggest we aren’t prioritising school funding is disingenuous,” she said.
“The significance we place on education is demonstrated by the fact that we are investing more than any previous government in our schools. This year the schools budget will total around £40bn, an increase of around £4 billion since 2011-12.”
She added: “I believe this action is counterproductive – it will harm children’s education, inconvenience parents and damage the profession’s reputation in the eyes of the public.”
