Mum of SEN boy backs striking teachers at Coventry rally

Donna Bogusz, whose son has special educational needs, said she fully supported teachers striking

A mother whose son has special educational needs has said she "fully supports" teachers on strike.

Across England and Wales, teachers have been taking part in industrial action in a row over pay and conditions.

At a rally in Coventry on Wednesday where hundreds of teachers, lecturers and union representatives gathered, Donna Bogusz spoke of her worries about pressures on resources at schools.

Most state school teachers had a 5% pay rise in 2022 but unions want more.

Hundreds of teachers, lecturers and union officials gathered in Coventry city centre

Ms Bogusz said it was "terrifying" to know children could be missing out due to financial pressures and came out in support of teachers on strike.

"They're doing it because they care, they really, really care about the education of every child in their classroom," Ms Bogusz said, whose 10-year-old son attends an academy primary school in the city.

"They've not done it on a whim," she said.

However other parents, like Lisa O'Brien from Wolverhampton, believe the most vulnerable children in society are being affected by the strikes and that it's important that they are not forgotten.

Her twin sons also have special educational needs and she said: "These are the kids who really need to be in the classroom."

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union said they wanted to improve the quality of education

Kevin Courtney, joint national secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), was also at the rally and said there was a "crisis" in schools.

"I'm not surprised by the turn out, I knew that there was such a building up of feeling in the union, I think the government's really surprised by it," he said.

Mr Courtney said 43,000 professionals had joined the union in the last fortnight, since strike dates were announced.

As well as protesting about pay and funding in schools, Mr Courtney said it was about improving the quality of education.

Last year's 5% pay rise for most state school teachers in England and Wales did "nothing to put right the problems that we've got right now about teacher recruitment and retention," said Mr Courtney.

With inflation over 10%, unions say the pay rise actually amounts to a pay cut.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan defended the government's record on school funding on BBC Breakfast.

She said it "made no sense to give inflation-busting pay rises to some of the workforce", at a time when prices were rising for everyone.