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| Classes disrupted as teachers stage strike | Classes disrupted as teachers stage strike |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Pupils in England and Wales are facing disrupted classes as teachers join rallies and picket lines in a strike over pay, pensions and conditions. | Pupils in England and Wales are facing disrupted classes as teachers join rallies and picket lines in a strike over pay, pensions and conditions. |
| Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are taking part in the action, leaving many schools closed to some or all pupils. | Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are taking part in the action, leaving many schools closed to some or all pupils. |
| Union leaders said the national walkout was a "last resort". | Union leaders said the national walkout was a "last resort". |
| The Department for Education (DfE) said it believed "well under a quarter" of schools in England were closed. | |
| The union said the strike action on Wednesday was covered by two ballots held in May 2011 and June 2012. | The union said the strike action on Wednesday was covered by two ballots held in May 2011 and June 2012. |
| The turnout for the ballot was 40% and 92% of these members voted in favour of strike action. The NUT has 326,930 members in England and Wales. | The turnout for the ballot was 40% and 92% of these members voted in favour of strike action. The NUT has 326,930 members in England and Wales. |
| Ongoing dispute | Ongoing dispute |
| The NUT has been embroiled in its current dispute with the government for more than two years, and staged a series of regional strikes, together with the NASUWT teaching union, last year. | The NUT has been embroiled in its current dispute with the government for more than two years, and staged a series of regional strikes, together with the NASUWT teaching union, last year. |
| A proposed one-day national walkout in November by the two unions was called off in the wake of talks with the government and the NASUWT has decided not to take part in this latest strike because the government had engaged in a debate. | A proposed one-day national walkout in November by the two unions was called off in the wake of talks with the government and the NASUWT has decided not to take part in this latest strike because the government had engaged in a debate. |
| But NUT general secretary Christine Blower told the BBC that the talks had not produced the right outcomes and that teaching was becoming "unmanageable" with primary school teachers working 60-hour weeks and secondary school teachers working 56 hours. | But NUT general secretary Christine Blower told the BBC that the talks had not produced the right outcomes and that teaching was becoming "unmanageable" with primary school teachers working 60-hour weeks and secondary school teachers working 56 hours. |
| "We don't feel that enough progress has been made, actually we feel that no progress has been made," she said. | "We don't feel that enough progress has been made, actually we feel that no progress has been made," she said. |
| Ms Blower said the union would go back to the talk after this strike. | Ms Blower said the union would go back to the talk after this strike. |
| She admitted that strike action was "regrettable" and said: "We do recognise the fact that young people are having their education disrupted and that parents are experiencing difficulties today." | She admitted that strike action was "regrettable" and said: "We do recognise the fact that young people are having their education disrupted and that parents are experiencing difficulties today." |
| 'No basis for strike' | 'No basis for strike' |
| But Schools Minister David Laws told the BBC that there was no basis for the strike. | But Schools Minister David Laws told the BBC that there was no basis for the strike. |
| He said: "I do not understand why the NUT are taking this industrial action in the middle of talks." | He said: "I do not understand why the NUT are taking this industrial action in the middle of talks." |
| Mr Laws said he was currently in talks with seven trade unions, but only the NUT had chosen to strike. | Mr Laws said he was currently in talks with seven trade unions, but only the NUT had chosen to strike. |
| He admitted that he was "concerned" about the amount of hours teachers were working per week, and he said that he wanted to try to reduce this by cutting the amount of bureaucracy and red tape teachers had to face. | He admitted that he was "concerned" about the amount of hours teachers were working per week, and he said that he wanted to try to reduce this by cutting the amount of bureaucracy and red tape teachers had to face. |
| NUT deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney said: "Striking is our last resort. | NUT deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney said: "Striking is our last resort. |
| "We have been trying to persuade [Education Secretary] Michael Gove to change his mind, he is unwilling. Michael Gove's policies are exhausting and demoralising teachers and that's very bad and disruptive for education. | "We have been trying to persuade [Education Secretary] Michael Gove to change his mind, he is unwilling. Michael Gove's policies are exhausting and demoralising teachers and that's very bad and disruptive for education. |
| "Thousands of good people are leaving the profession, we are building up to a teacher shortage and our children deserve energetic and enthusiastic teachers not demoralised and exhausted ones." | "Thousands of good people are leaving the profession, we are building up to a teacher shortage and our children deserve energetic and enthusiastic teachers not demoralised and exhausted ones." |
| Mr Courtney said the union wanted Mr Gove to change his policies on school accountability, which the NUT said was leading to "enormous" workloads for teachers, performance-related pay and pensions. | Mr Courtney said the union wanted Mr Gove to change his policies on school accountability, which the NUT said was leading to "enormous" workloads for teachers, performance-related pay and pensions. |
| Gove's letter | Gove's letter |
| On Tuesday, Mr Gove wrote to seven union bosses, setting out the progress he believed had been made in an ongoing programme of talks between the DfE and these teaching unions. | On Tuesday, Mr Gove wrote to seven union bosses, setting out the progress he believed had been made in an ongoing programme of talks between the DfE and these teaching unions. |
| In the letter, he said he wanted to underline his commitment to the talks process. | In the letter, he said he wanted to underline his commitment to the talks process. |
| "I have been following the progress of the weekly talks closely and am encouraged by reports from the meetings so far," Mr Gove wrote. | "I have been following the progress of the weekly talks closely and am encouraged by reports from the meetings so far," Mr Gove wrote. |
| Condemning Wednesday's industrial action, a DfE official said: "Parents will struggle to understand why the NUT is pressing ahead with strikes over the government's measures to let heads pay good teachers more. | Condemning Wednesday's industrial action, a DfE official said: "Parents will struggle to understand why the NUT is pressing ahead with strikes over the government's measures to let heads pay good teachers more. |
| "They called for talks to avoid industrial action, we agreed to their request, and talks have been taking place weekly. | "They called for talks to avoid industrial action, we agreed to their request, and talks have been taking place weekly. |
| "Despite this constructive engagement with their concerns, the NUT is taking action that will disrupt parents' lives, hold back children's education and damage the reputation of the profession." | "Despite this constructive engagement with their concerns, the NUT is taking action that will disrupt parents' lives, hold back children's education and damage the reputation of the profession." |