More than half of England's schools disrupted by strikes

More than 50% of schools successful England closed oregon restricted attendance due to the fact that of this week's teachers' strikes, according to authorities data.

Teachers belonging to the National Education Union (NEU) walked retired connected 15 and 16 March.

On 15 March, inferior doctors, civilian servants, London Underground bid drivers and immoderate BBC unit besides took onslaught action.

It was 1 of the biggest days of enactment since the question of unrest began.

Data released by the Department for Education showed 47% of each schools successful England were unfastened but restricting attendance, and 6% were afloat closed connected some onslaught days this week.

Secondary schools were worst affected, with 79% restricting attendance and 5% afloat closed connected 15 March. On 16 March, 80% restricted attendance and 6% were shut.

London had the highest proportionality of affected schools, with lone 18% capable to afloat unfastened connected some onslaught days.

In Manchester, mum Alison Dickinson had to juggle enactment and childcare again this week, with girl Liv's schoolhouse closed due to the fact that of the strikes.

It was Liv's 4th time of schoolhouse missed since the archetypal nationalist teachers' onslaught connected 1 February.

Alison's dada Pete travelled down from Preston to their location successful Sale and stayed overnight to assistance with childcare.

But Alison said eight-year-old Liv has been struggling with the disruption.

"I deliberation I recognize the bigger representation - but it's conscionable super-frustrating," said Alison, who runs after-school singing and play classes for children.

"Liv's twelvemonth especially, they've lone had 1 mean twelvemonth of schoolhouse with nary disruption, which was past year, but present each mates of weeks there's a random time disconnected and it's truthful disruptive."

Speaking connected Wednesday, Alison added: "She'll beryllium each implicit the spot time - time 2 - and though they deliberation it's a novelty and amusive being disconnected school, I deliberation she'll beryllium bored stiff tomorrow, missing her friends, missing school, due to the fact that that's her world.

"They walk truthful overmuch clip there, truthful to person that regular breached - it's a lot."

Teachers' salaries fell by an mean of 11% successful existent presumption betwixt 2010 and 2022, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Unions assertion teacher wage has fallen by arsenic overmuch arsenic 23% successful that time.

In England, astir teachers had a 5% emergence past year.

Unions reason these are wage cuts due to the fact that of inflation, but the authorities says it has already agreed to an other £2bn successful schoolhouse backing successful England.

The NEU is calling for a fully-funded wage rise, truthful that immoderate emergence does not person to beryllium paid retired of schools' existing budgets.

In Wales, onslaught enactment was called disconnected this week portion the NEU consults with members connected a caller offer.

In Scotland, strikes person besides been suspended aft the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association accepted a caller wage deal. The NASUWT is inactive consulting its members.