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| National teachers' strike: Schools shut across Wales | National teachers' strike: Schools shut across Wales |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Almost half of schools in Wales have been closed or partially shut after teachers went on strike for the day. | |
| Teachers in the NUT union in Wales and England were protesting against the UK government's changes to pay and pension terms. | |
| Despite the Welsh government having power over education in Wales, pay is controlled by the UK government. | Despite the Welsh government having power over education in Wales, pay is controlled by the UK government. |
| The UK government criticised the strike, saying it caused disruption for children and parents. | |
| More than 13,000 teachers from hundreds of schools across Wales took part in the action. | |
| Almost 500 Welsh schools were partially closed and more than 300 completely shut. | |
| While some schools were forced to close completely, most secondary schools were open for pupils studying for their GCSEs and A-levels. | While some schools were forced to close completely, most secondary schools were open for pupils studying for their GCSEs and A-levels. |
| The strike was called after a row over a new performance-related pay structure and tougher pension package planned by the UK government. | The strike was called after a row over a new performance-related pay structure and tougher pension package planned by the UK government. |
| Education Secretary Michael Gove has said that introducing performance related pay would be a way of raising teaching standards. | Education Secretary Michael Gove has said that introducing performance related pay would be a way of raising teaching standards. |
| The idea is designed to bring automatic pay rises to an end, with schools given the flexibility to offer higher salaries to their best teachers. | The idea is designed to bring automatic pay rises to an end, with schools given the flexibility to offer higher salaries to their best teachers. |
| But the fear is, with budgets so tight, it would be difficult to reward the best teachers without penalising those who are struggling. | But the fear is, with budgets so tight, it would be difficult to reward the best teachers without penalising those who are struggling. |
| An NUT Cymru rally outside the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday morning attracted up to 300 people. | An NUT Cymru rally outside the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday morning attracted up to 300 people. |
| The union's Wales secretary David Evans, speaking from the rally, told the BBC: "Teachers are being asked to pay more into their pensions and are being asked to work longer. | The union's Wales secretary David Evans, speaking from the rally, told the BBC: "Teachers are being asked to pay more into their pensions and are being asked to work longer. |
| "So it's pay more, work longer, receive less." | "So it's pay more, work longer, receive less." |
| Earlier, he had said that nobody could accuse the union of taking strike action lightly, adding previous planned action had been called off twice. | Earlier, he had said that nobody could accuse the union of taking strike action lightly, adding previous planned action had been called off twice. |
| "Unfortunately teachers across Wales really do feel as if they are left with little alternative," he said. | "Unfortunately teachers across Wales really do feel as if they are left with little alternative," he said. |
| "In many cases they are not simply fighting for a fair deal for teachers, opposing the unfair pay and pension's raids they have faced, but are standing up for the very nature of education services on offer in our communities. | "In many cases they are not simply fighting for a fair deal for teachers, opposing the unfair pay and pension's raids they have faced, but are standing up for the very nature of education services on offer in our communities. |
| "No teacher wants to strike. | "No teacher wants to strike. |
| "The individuals doing so will be sacrificing a day's pay, but it is a decision based on securing the long-term sustainability of public education in Wales and the UK." | "The individuals doing so will be sacrificing a day's pay, but it is a decision based on securing the long-term sustainability of public education in Wales and the UK." |
| The other big teaching union, the NASUWT, has walked out alongside the NUT in the last two national strikes but did not strike on Wednesday. | |
| The UK government said the strike action was damaging children's education and was unpopular with parents. | |
| A spokesperson for the UK government's Department of Education 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. | A spokesperson for the UK government's Department of Education 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. |