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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Matt Watts

London schools worst affected by latest teacher strikes with less than one in five fully open

London was the most affected region of the country in the latest teacher strikes, with less than one in five schools fully open to pupils.

Data from the Department for Education showed just 18% were fully open in the capital on both days, while 18% and 17% of schools were fully closed on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Tens of thousands of members of the National Education Union (NEU) took part in two consecutive days of strike action across England in a long-running dispute over pay.

The majority of schools in England closed their doors to some pupils due to the teachers’ industrial action, the data showed.

The Department for Education said 47% of the 16,100 state-funded schools known about were fully open on Wednesday, while 47% were open but restricting attendance and 6% closed.

On Thursday, 46% of 16,200 schools were estimated to be fully open, with 47% open but restricting attendance and 6% closed.

Meanwhile, just 14% of secondary schools were fully open on Thursday, compared to 53% of primary schools and 31% of special schools.

It meant parents were having to make arrangements to look after their children, as most schools were either fully or partially closed to students.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan first invited the NEU to formal talks on teachers’ pay three weeks ago on the condition that the union’s planned strikes were cancelled.

But the NEU refused to suspend strike action in England until Ms Keegan makes a pay offer that could end the dispute.

On Thursday disruption was also brought by striking members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at 14 train operating companies who walked out in a long-running row over pay, jobs and conditions.

Trains started later than normal, at about 7.30am, and finished earlier than usual, at around 6.30pm.

It affected operators such as CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, Northern and Southeastern.

Across Britain, between 40-50% of normal weekday services were expected to run, but some areas have had no trains all day.

Disruption is likely to continue into Friday as many trains will not be at the usual depots overnight.

Tens of thousands of staff at 150 universities across the UK - including academics, librarians, technicians, security and catering workers - began five days of strikes on Thursday.

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