East Midlands teachers join further strike action

A picket line has formed outside Rawlins Academy in Loughborough

Teachers in the East Midlands have gone on strike again in a long-running dispute over pay.

It is the second day of regional walkouts by the National Education Union (NEU) after teachers took strike action in northern England on Monday.

Teachers from the West Midlands and eastern regions are also taking part in Wednesday's action.

Unions want above-inflation pay rises and more money for schools but the government said it was unrealistic.

'Head in the sand'

The NEU said it expected many schools to close or partially close, with about 200,000 members across England and Wales striking over three days of action this week.

Three other regions will follow on Thursday, ahead of a national strike across England and Wales on 15 and 16 March.

Striking teachers gather at a rally in Nottingham

Picket lines will be mounted outside schools in the East Midlands, West Midlands and eastern regions of England, and rallies are due to be held in Birmingham, Cambridge, Leicester and Nottingham.

It follows nationwide strike action in February.

The NEU has accused the government of "burying its head in the sand" as it claims underfunded pay increases have "pushed the profession to its limits".

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan says the government has already agreed to provide an extra £2bn in school funding, "which will take real-terms spending on schools to its highest level in history".

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