Schools to close during strike

Dozens of schools have confirmed they will close their doors on Thursday when the country's biggest teachers' union goes out on strike.

The National Union of Teachers is staging the first national strike for 21 years in a row over pay.

But even more troubling for parents are the many more schools who have yet to reveal whether they will remain open.

Two-thirds of schools have now reopened for the summer term, leaving little time for headteachers to make contingency plans.

In a poll, 25 local authorities were able to give concrete figures and revealed 136 schools will close for the day. The worst affected areas will be Suffolk and Cheshire with 28 closures each.

Schools minister Jim Knight said he was "disappointed" by the action, and that the Government had accepted independent recommendations for a three-year pay award with a 2.45 per cent rise in September, and 2.3 per cent in the two following years.

But the NUT said three years of below-inflation pay increases would be "damaging" for the profession and make recruiting new teachers more difficult.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said: "Teachers should not be walking out. I'm very disappointed and I think that parents across the country are disappointed. I'm on the side of parents who will be disappointed if their children's education is disrupted on Thursday because we have decided to accept an independent pay review.

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