'There are no children and young families in sight'
Malu Cursino
BBC News Live reporter
On the main streets of Islington, a residential area in
central London, you have the usual hustle and bustle of the capital city.
Commuters trying to get by, little to no children and young families in sight.
Most of the ones walking past me were on their way to
nursery or school, with parents lugging around their children’s lunch boxes. It
largely appears like business as usual.
That wasn’t the case a little while ago, as I walked past
another nearby school to find it closed and no young families in sight.
I am now at Barnard park, hoping to speak to some
families who have had to change their usual plans due to school closures.
There are many dog walkers, and commuters cutting through
the park to get where they need to be, but the playground is empty.
'Lasting anger in profession' - education union
BBCCopyright: BBC
We're hearing more from the NEU's general secretary who says parents support the strike action and calls on the government to negotiate.
"There is a real deep and lasting anger in the profession at the neglect of children at the fact that education is so badly underfunded, by the fact that so many teachers feel forced to leave", says Dr Mary Bousted.
She references a Mumsnet poll which shows 62% of parents support the strike by teachers.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Bousted says disruption "is the last thing we want to do" and "the government should get round the table" to negotiate.
Education union to answer your questions
Over on BBC Radio 5 Live now Nicky Campbell will be talking to Niamh Sweeney - deputy general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU).
She'll also be answering your questions.
We'll bring you a round up of what's said later on - but you can listen live right here.
How many schools are closed today?
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said earlier that most schools will be open today, even if there are some changes to the usual school day as a result of fewer staff.
But we're hearing a different picture from the NEU.
They've told us 85% of schools will be fully or partially closed, based on a snapshot sample of 8,000 NEU school representatives and volunteers.
Some 15% said that their school or college would be fully open for staff and
pupils.
The union also estimates there are more than 150,000 members striking. According to the Department for Education, there are more than half a million teachers in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in total.
The DfE says it'll release more figures on the impact of the strikes later.
How much do teachers get paid?
The teachers' strike is about pay - but how much are they getting paid, at the moment?
Last year in England, teachers were paid an average of £38,982.
In Wales it was £39,009, and in Scotland £40,026. We've not been given a comparable figure for Northern Ireland.
For those starting out, the annual salary will rise to £30,000 by September in England.
The average head teacher's salary in England is £74,095, and £57,117 for other senior leaders.
BBCCopyright: BBC
'Stop putting a price on my education'
Sallie George
Reporting from Harlow
SALLIE GEORGECopyright: SALLIE GEORGE
Primary school teacher Karla Mouncey-Jaggers has joined the
picket at Burnt Mill Academy in Harlow with her 9 year old son Benjen, who is holding a
home-made placard saying ‘I’m here for my teachers and my mum, they deserve
more’.
Karla said her son’s class had not had a teacher for the last
half term and so she had experienced as a parent the crisis in recruitment and
retention of staff.
She said ‘as a parent and teacher I want him to experience
the picket line’.
Meanwhile, a number of parent organisations including Save Our
Schools and Let Our Kids Be Kids have said they also support teachers in their
demand for fair pay.
In an a joint statement they said “increasingly those
that are in the classroom are not qualified in the subject they are teaching
and special needs support assistants are leaving their jobs for better paid
work elsewhere. The current situation cannot continue.”
Analysis
Teachers' anger '10 years in the making'
Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent
These strikes have been “10 years in the making”. That’s the
feeling among some teachers, according to a head I spoke to last week.
There’s no single reason that it’s boiling over now.
Sure, pay is at the centre of the dispute, with
unions arguing that a 5% pay rise for most state-school teachers is really a
pay cut because of inflation. But there are a range of other concerns linked to
it, which, when you take a step back, form a pretty tangled web.
Recruitment is one issue, with head teachers saying
pay means they are struggling to attract staff. Ministers in England hope that
bumping starting salaries to £30,000 this year will help. But it won’t address
a retention problem among existing teachers.
Teachers say fewer staff means more work and responsibilities for those who are left – especially
with increasing pastoral demands, and catch-up after Covid lockdowns.
Then there’s the issue of resources. The above pay
rise was “unfunded”, which means schools were expected to find the cash for it.
Already under strain from rising energy bills, schools say they have had to cut back on things as a result.
What it boils down to is that teachers who support
the strike – and many who don’t – feel their profession has been devalued. And
an injection of an extra £2bn into England’s schools hasn’t been enough to
change that.
What is that 'right to strike' protest about?
Helen Catt
Political correspondent
As well as the NEU teacher strikes today, the Trades Union Congress is holding a "protect the right to strike” day of action.
The government's proposed new
law, which would force some workers in services like rail and emergency services
to go to work during strikes, has been controversial.
The government says the idea is
to make sure there are minimum levels of service in some critical industries.
It says its measures are
"proportionate" and "sensible". Labour, the SNP, the Liberal
Democrats and others disagree.
Unions have called the
legislation "spiteful" and "unworkable" and say it could
result in people being sacked.
The proposals are not yet law -
they will still have to pass the House of Lords, where more opposition is
expected.
'School pay is prehistoric'
Jack Tymon
BBC Radio Derby
BBCCopyright: BBC
Teachers at Chellaston Academy in Derby have been gathering outside their school this morning.
Daniel Holme, a geography and politics teacher donned a dinosaur costume to
make his point.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Ian Walters, a Geography teacher for 19 years, said an unfunded pay rise means what they can provide for young people in schools "is being reduced year on year".
He said they have got supply teachers "left right and centre because we've got a recruitment and retention crisis".
"We're losing maths teachers, we can't get physics teachers. The impact of that is massively affecting our young people".
Who are the thousands of new NEU members?
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
The National Education Union says it's had 40,000 new members since it announced strike action a couple of weeks ago. Many of those will be teachers in other education unions that didn't reach the threshold to legally strike.
One teacher from West Yorkshire, who switched from the NASUWT union in order to go on strike today, says his main reason for striking is that the pay rise teachers have been given this year hasn't been funded by the government.
“Teachers are
getting some incremental pay rise, but it’s expected to come from the school's existing budget,” he tells us.
His school is having to cut spending in other places, including
staff - and things like stationary, glue sticks and pencils are in short supply.
Another new NEU member says she has been teaching for five years and has seen several colleagues leave the profession
“due to stress and demands of the job”.
She loves working with children and the challenge of helping
children learn, but says over the last year her job has become “consumed by
extra paperwork and box-ticking activities” which do not put children first.
She believes that even if these strikes don’t achieve the change in pay they are asking for, it will hopefully “draw attention" to "a
real crisis in the education profession”.
I'm listening to you, education secretary tells teachers
Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent
The education
secretary wrote to teachers and school leaders last night, saying that she is
still listening and continuing to meet with union leaders.
Ministers are
talking about ways of reducing the pressure on teachers’ workloads and ways to
improve conditions.
But the dispute over pay continues. Despite the signs of optimism at the start of January, there
has been no concrete progress and my understanding is nothing has changed in
the Treasury to allow for a new pay offer for 2022/23.
Gillian Keegan writes in
her letter: “We are working through a range of issues which includes pay,
workload, flexible working, behaviour and much more."
'I’m striking today with a bit of despair'
Branwen Jeffreys
Education Editor
Branwen JeffreysCopyright: Branwen Jeffreys
Teresa Keane is on a picket line outside Burnt Mill academy in HarlowImage caption: Teresa Keane is on a picket line outside Burnt Mill academy in Harlow
Picket lines are beginning to form across England, Wales and parts of Scotland this morning.
Outside Burnt Mill
academy in Harlow where she teaches English, Teresa Keane is on a picket
line for only the second time in her life.
“I’m striking today with a bit of
despair, I’ll miss my students but it’s important that it’s understood
how much people in the public sector are paid."
Teresa said she is willing to keep going
with further strikes and will be attending a rally in March in London.
People in cars are tooting their support as they drive past the picket line.
Branwen JeffreysCopyright: Branwen Jeffreys
We can't risk fuelling inflation - education secretary
More reaction from the education secretary.
Asked about the unions' claim that there's "nothing on the table", Gillian Keegan says she's had five meetings in total with the unions - one of which was six hours long.
Keegan says they discussed workload, pay and future pay: "What is not realistic is for us to be looking at inflation-busting pay rises".
"We cannot risk fuelling inflation with above inflation pay rises, and we've been very clear on that point - we have to look after everybody in the economy, " says the education secretary.
'Majority' of schools will be open - education secretary
BBCCopyright: BBC
We've just heard from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan who says she believes the "majority" of schools will be open this morning, but adds some will have restrictions for different cohorts.
She says there are not any figures at the moment for the number of schools being impacted, but these numbers will be published this afternoon.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the education secretary says she has asked teachers who have decided to walk out to inform their head.
"I am hoping they have done that", she says.
We regret that parents could lose pay to look after kids - union
We're hearing more from the NEU's joint general secretary, who says she regrets that some people might lose pay while teachers take strike action.
Bousted is asked what she would say to people who earn less than teachers and are having to miss work to stay at home and care for children.
"I very much regret that you have been inconvenienced and if you are losing pay I very much regret that, so does the union," she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Bousted says "we would not be here if the government had shown any intention to negotiate".
Teachers doing weekend jobs 'to make ends meet' - education union
More from the NEU's general secretary Mary Bousted who says there's a "catch 22" for some teachers who can't afford to go on strike.
Due to the rise in the cost of living she says some teachers are working part time jobs at the weekend "to make ends meet".
The combination of an "excessive and intensive workload combined with pay... which [due to inflation] has decreased by 13% for teachers - which is one of the biggest decreases of all professional groups".
This "toxic combination" leads to a third of teachers leaving the profession within five years of qualification, she adds.
Situation in schools is 'untenable' - education union
We've just heard from the National Education Union's joint general secretary, who says it is "very unfortunate" that teachers are taking strike action today.
Mary Bousted told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that it is "very important that teachers stand up now" and described the situation in schools as "untenable".
Asked if she respected the decision of some teachers not to strike, she said "of course...the unions can't compel members", adding "all we can say is we are doing the best we can to negotiate".
WATCH: Students react: ‘Our teachers work harder than everyone thinks’
Kristian Johnson
Ahead of today’s strikes, we spent a day at Shelley College in West Yorkshire.
Most classes will run as normal, with Year 9 the only cohort asked to stay at home for now.
While some Year 11 and sixth form students said they are “a bit concerned” about the impact future strike dates could have on their preparations for exams, most said they support teachers who are taking industrial action.
Madeleine, 16, said: “Because teachers work long hours, including weekends, they should be getting more money. They work a lot harder than everyone thinks.
If they are asked to stay at home on future strike days, several students said they will stay at home and revise, but others have different plans. Julia, 16, said she will see her friends, while sixth form student John said he will just be “chilling”.
Video content
Video caption: Students react: ‘Our teachers work harder than everyone thinks’Students react: ‘Our teachers work harder than everyone thinks’
PM and chancellor should talk about pay - TUC
We're hearing more from the TUC's Paul Nowak who says public services are in "crisis".
"Government has to take some action and responsibility and I would urge the prime minister and the chancellor to get round the table and talk sensibly about improving the pay of public servants", he says.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the TUC's general secretary says he does not think it is true that the government is willing to negotiate.
Public services are in "crisis" because of "years of underinvestment and a shortage of staff" he says.
Strikers are at the end of their tethers - TUC
BBCCopyright: BBC
We've just heard from the TUC's general secretary, who says people "can't have another year of a real-terms pay cut".
"When people see their bills going up, see their rent and mortgages going up... the only thing they can't see going up is their wages," Paul Nowak told BBC Breakfast.
He says the government has a responsibility to solve the disputes and "put money back into the pockets of public servants".
Are the unions holding the government top ransom? Nowak says union leaders don't tell people to go on strike - that's the decision of "hundreds of thousands of workers who are just literally at the end of their tethers".
Live Reporting
Edited by Andrew Humphrey and Alice Evans
All times stated are UK
Get involved
'There are no children and young families in sight'
Malu Cursino
BBC News Live reporter
On the main streets of Islington, a residential area in central London, you have the usual hustle and bustle of the capital city. Commuters trying to get by, little to no children and young families in sight.
Most of the ones walking past me were on their way to nursery or school, with parents lugging around their children’s lunch boxes. It largely appears like business as usual.
That wasn’t the case a little while ago, as I walked past another nearby school to find it closed and no young families in sight.
I am now at Barnard park, hoping to speak to some families who have had to change their usual plans due to school closures.
There are many dog walkers, and commuters cutting through the park to get where they need to be, but the playground is empty.
'Lasting anger in profession' - education union
We're hearing more from the NEU's general secretary who says parents support the strike action and calls on the government to negotiate.
"There is a real deep and lasting anger in the profession at the neglect of children at the fact that education is so badly underfunded, by the fact that so many teachers feel forced to leave", says Dr Mary Bousted.
She references a Mumsnet poll which shows 62% of parents support the strike by teachers.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Bousted says disruption "is the last thing we want to do" and "the government should get round the table" to negotiate.
Education union to answer your questions
Over on BBC Radio 5 Live now Nicky Campbell will be talking to Niamh Sweeney - deputy general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU).
She'll also be answering your questions.
We'll bring you a round up of what's said later on - but you can listen live right here.
How many schools are closed today?
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said earlier that most schools will be open today, even if there are some changes to the usual school day as a result of fewer staff.
But we're hearing a different picture from the NEU.
They've told us 85% of schools will be fully or partially closed, based on a snapshot sample of 8,000 NEU school representatives and volunteers.
Some 15% said that their school or college would be fully open for staff and pupils.
The union also estimates there are more than 150,000 members striking. According to the Department for Education, there are more than half a million teachers in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in total.
The DfE says it'll release more figures on the impact of the strikes later.
How much do teachers get paid?
The teachers' strike is about pay - but how much are they getting paid, at the moment?
Last year in England, teachers were paid an average of £38,982.
In Wales it was £39,009, and in Scotland £40,026. We've not been given a comparable figure for Northern Ireland.
For those starting out, the annual salary will rise to £30,000 by September in England.
The average head teacher's salary in England is £74,095, and £57,117 for other senior leaders.
'Stop putting a price on my education'
Sallie George
Reporting from Harlow
Primary school teacher Karla Mouncey-Jaggers has joined the picket at Burnt Mill Academy in Harlow with her 9 year old son Benjen, who is holding a home-made placard saying ‘I’m here for my teachers and my mum, they deserve more’.
Karla said her son’s class had not had a teacher for the last half term and so she had experienced as a parent the crisis in recruitment and retention of staff.
She said ‘as a parent and teacher I want him to experience the picket line’.
Meanwhile, a number of parent organisations including Save Our Schools and Let Our Kids Be Kids have said they also support teachers in their demand for fair pay.
In an a joint statement they said “increasingly those that are in the classroom are not qualified in the subject they are teaching and special needs support assistants are leaving their jobs for better paid work elsewhere. The current situation cannot continue.”
Teachers' anger '10 years in the making'
Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent
These strikes have been “10 years in the making”. That’s the feeling among some teachers, according to a head I spoke to last week.
There’s no single reason that it’s boiling over now.
Sure, pay is at the centre of the dispute, with unions arguing that a 5% pay rise for most state-school teachers is really a pay cut because of inflation. But there are a range of other concerns linked to it, which, when you take a step back, form a pretty tangled web.
Recruitment is one issue, with head teachers saying pay means they are struggling to attract staff. Ministers in England hope that bumping starting salaries to £30,000 this year will help. But it won’t address a retention problem among existing teachers.
Teachers say fewer staff means more work and responsibilities for those who are left – especially with increasing pastoral demands, and catch-up after Covid lockdowns.
Then there’s the issue of resources. The above pay rise was “unfunded”, which means schools were expected to find the cash for it. Already under strain from rising energy bills, schools say they have had to cut back on things as a result.
What it boils down to is that teachers who support the strike – and many who don’t – feel their profession has been devalued. And an injection of an extra £2bn into England’s schools hasn’t been enough to change that.
What is that 'right to strike' protest about?
Helen Catt
Political correspondent
As well as the NEU teacher strikes today, the Trades Union Congress is holding a "protect the right to strike” day of action.
The government's proposed new law, which would force some workers in services like rail and emergency services to go to work during strikes, has been controversial.
The government says the idea is to make sure there are minimum levels of service in some critical industries.
It says its measures are "proportionate" and "sensible". Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and others disagree.
Unions have called the legislation "spiteful" and "unworkable" and say it could result in people being sacked.
The proposals are not yet law - they will still have to pass the House of Lords, where more opposition is expected.
'School pay is prehistoric'
Jack Tymon
BBC Radio Derby
Teachers at Chellaston Academy in Derby have been gathering outside their school this morning.
Daniel Holme, a geography and politics teacher donned a dinosaur costume to make his point.
Ian Walters, a Geography teacher for 19 years, said an unfunded pay rise means what they can provide for young people in schools "is being reduced year on year".
He said they have got supply teachers "left right and centre because we've got a recruitment and retention crisis".
"We're losing maths teachers, we can't get physics teachers. The impact of that is massively affecting our young people".
Who are the thousands of new NEU members?
The National Education Union says it's had 40,000 new members since it announced strike action a couple of weeks ago. Many of those will be teachers in other education unions that didn't reach the threshold to legally strike.
One teacher from West Yorkshire, who switched from the NASUWT union in order to go on strike today, says his main reason for striking is that the pay rise teachers have been given this year hasn't been funded by the government.
“Teachers are getting some incremental pay rise, but it’s expected to come from the school's existing budget,” he tells us.
His school is having to cut spending in other places, including staff - and things like stationary, glue sticks and pencils are in short supply.
Another new NEU member says she has been teaching for five years and has seen several colleagues leave the profession “due to stress and demands of the job”.
She loves working with children and the challenge of helping children learn, but says over the last year her job has become “consumed by extra paperwork and box-ticking activities” which do not put children first.
She believes that even if these strikes don’t achieve the change in pay they are asking for, it will hopefully “draw attention" to "a real crisis in the education profession”.
I'm listening to you, education secretary tells teachers
Nick Eardley
Chief political correspondent
The education secretary wrote to teachers and school leaders last night, saying that she is still listening and continuing to meet with union leaders.
Ministers are talking about ways of reducing the pressure on teachers’ workloads and ways to improve conditions.
But the dispute over pay continues. Despite the signs of optimism at the start of January, there has been no concrete progress and my understanding is nothing has changed in the Treasury to allow for a new pay offer for 2022/23.
Gillian Keegan writes in her letter: “We are working through a range of issues which includes pay, workload, flexible working, behaviour and much more."
'I’m striking today with a bit of despair'
Branwen Jeffreys
Education Editor
Picket lines are beginning to form across England, Wales and parts of Scotland this morning.
Outside Burnt Mill academy in Harlow where she teaches English, Teresa Keane is on a picket line for only the second time in her life.
“I’m striking today with a bit of despair, I’ll miss my students but it’s important that it’s understood how much people in the public sector are paid."
Teresa said she is willing to keep going with further strikes and will be attending a rally in March in London.
People in cars are tooting their support as they drive past the picket line.
We can't risk fuelling inflation - education secretary
More reaction from the education secretary.
Asked about the unions' claim that there's "nothing on the table", Gillian Keegan says she's had five meetings in total with the unions - one of which was six hours long.
Keegan says they discussed workload, pay and future pay: "What is not realistic is for us to be looking at inflation-busting pay rises".
"We cannot risk fuelling inflation with above inflation pay rises, and we've been very clear on that point - we have to look after everybody in the economy, " says the education secretary.
'Majority' of schools will be open - education secretary
We've just heard from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan who says she believes the "majority" of schools will be open this morning, but adds some will have restrictions for different cohorts.
She says there are not any figures at the moment for the number of schools being impacted, but these numbers will be published this afternoon.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the education secretary says she has asked teachers who have decided to walk out to inform their head.
"I am hoping they have done that", she says.
We regret that parents could lose pay to look after kids - union
We're hearing more from the NEU's joint general secretary, who says she regrets that some people might lose pay while teachers take strike action.
Bousted is asked what she would say to people who earn less than teachers and are having to miss work to stay at home and care for children.
"I very much regret that you have been inconvenienced and if you are losing pay I very much regret that, so does the union," she tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Bousted says "we would not be here if the government had shown any intention to negotiate".
Teachers doing weekend jobs 'to make ends meet' - education union
More from the NEU's general secretary Mary Bousted who says there's a "catch 22" for some teachers who can't afford to go on strike.
Due to the rise in the cost of living she says some teachers are working part time jobs at the weekend "to make ends meet".
The combination of an "excessive and intensive workload combined with pay... which [due to inflation] has decreased by 13% for teachers - which is one of the biggest decreases of all professional groups".
This "toxic combination" leads to a third of teachers leaving the profession within five years of qualification, she adds.
Situation in schools is 'untenable' - education union
We've just heard from the National Education Union's joint general secretary, who says it is "very unfortunate" that teachers are taking strike action today.
Mary Bousted told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that it is "very important that teachers stand up now" and described the situation in schools as "untenable".
Asked if she respected the decision of some teachers not to strike, she said "of course...the unions can't compel members", adding "all we can say is we are doing the best we can to negotiate".
WATCH: Students react: ‘Our teachers work harder than everyone thinks’
Kristian Johnson
Ahead of today’s strikes, we spent a day at Shelley College in West Yorkshire.
Most classes will run as normal, with Year 9 the only cohort asked to stay at home for now.
While some Year 11 and sixth form students said they are “a bit concerned” about the impact future strike dates could have on their preparations for exams, most said they support teachers who are taking industrial action.
Madeleine, 16, said: “Because teachers work long hours, including weekends, they should be getting more money. They work a lot harder than everyone thinks.
If they are asked to stay at home on future strike days, several students said they will stay at home and revise, but others have different plans. Julia, 16, said she will see her friends, while sixth form student John said he will just be “chilling”.
Video content
PM and chancellor should talk about pay - TUC
We're hearing more from the TUC's Paul Nowak who says public services are in "crisis".
"Government has to take some action and responsibility and I would urge the prime minister and the chancellor to get round the table and talk sensibly about improving the pay of public servants", he says.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the TUC's general secretary says he does not think it is true that the government is willing to negotiate.
Public services are in "crisis" because of "years of underinvestment and a shortage of staff" he says.
Strikers are at the end of their tethers - TUC
We've just heard from the TUC's general secretary, who says people "can't have another year of a real-terms pay cut".
"When people see their bills going up, see their rent and mortgages going up... the only thing they can't see going up is their wages," Paul Nowak told BBC Breakfast.
He says the government has a responsibility to solve the disputes and "put money back into the pockets of public servants".
Are the unions holding the government top ransom? Nowak says union leaders don't tell people to go on strike - that's the decision of "hundreds of thousands of workers who are just literally at the end of their tethers".