We've suffered years of pay degradation - striking teacher

Kate Taylor said funding for schools was "appalling"

A striking teacher says she and colleagues have been "suffering from 12 years of pay degradation".

Kate Taylor, a primary school teacher from Birmingham, said she was also on the picket line as funding for schools was "appalling".

Teachers in England from the National Education Union (NEU) are striking over pay on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan says the government has committed an extra £2bn in England.

Ms Keegan said this took "real-terms spending on schools to its highest level in history".

The Department for Education asked for "formal talks on pay, conditions and reform", but only if the NEU called off the strikes.

The NEU said it would only suspend action if good progress was made first.

About 150 teachers in Coventry have travelled to London to protest outside Parliament

Ms Taylor, who is also on the national executive committee of the NEU, said: "Without an offer, there is no way the union could have called off this strike.

"We're ready and waiting to talk to Gillian Keegan whenever she wants," she added.

In Coventry, about 150 teachers have gone to London to protest outside Parliament.

Jody, a teacher, said she did not want to strike but felt she had no choice.

"We're now at the end of our tether, this is all we can do to get our point across.

"We don't want to inconvenience anyone, we love being at school, it's horrible and we're sorry, but we're not sorry to stand up for the future of education," she said.