Thousands of teachers could be set to walk out in Greater Manchester tomorrow for the second strike day this month. Members of the National Education Union (NEU) in the North West are among those taking industrial action on Tuesday (February 28) amidst what it calls a recruitment and retention 'crisis'.
It's the second day of strike action involving the NEU in Greater Manchester, which has more than 12,000 members across the region. As with the previous strike day on February 1, many classrooms will be closed, as some schools stay shut fully while others welcome certain year groups and vulnerable children only.
Picket lines will form outside several schools in the region, before a major rally through Manchester city centre in the afternoon. It comes as NEU members call on the government to provide a fully-funded, above inflation pay increase, that doesn't see existing school budgets shrink.
Peter Middleman, North West regional secretary of the NEU, said: "Our members have broken through the threshold for ballots. They have bravely taken strike action already, and our membership has grown by 49,000 since the ballot result was first announced. The strength of feeling is all too clear. Enough is enough.
"The government’s education policy is driving the current recruitment and retention crisis. A fully funded, above inflation pay rise would make a significant difference. It would ensure children are taught by those who specialise in the subject they are delivering, and stop the brain drain which leads to pupils seeing a revolving door of teachers over the course of a year.
"We regret having to take strike action and the disruption it causes, but it is also self-evident that disruption to education is now part of a pupil's daily life. This is the point we have repeatedly made to the education secretary. It is time for her to come up with solutions.”
The NEU expects most schools to be affected by the industrial action, either closing fully or partially. It says education secretary Gillian Keegan made no pay offer in their meeting on February 15, before proposing to meet with the NEU on the condition strikes are called off.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News on a picket line during the last strike day, Richard Hannen said it was important to 'send a message' that education is falling behind compared to other countries thanks to a lack of funds. The primary school PE teacher said: "Enough is enough.
"Schools have been underfunded, teachers have been underpaid for over a decade now. We're losing teachers in droves, retention is failing, recruitment is failing. It's having an effect on our profession and on our kids as well.
"We don't want to strike - it's the last thing we want to do. We want the public to understand that it's not us against them, or us against the school, it's us sending a message to the government."
Ben Hulme, a teacher at Rolls Crescent Primary School in Hulme, added: "People say 'do you not care a kid is going to lose a day at school', but I'd argue the long-term damage being done by this government in the last 10 years is a lot worse. Teachers don't want to strike, but this is important."
Thousands of students are expected to be affected by the strike. Some schools will be closing fully, with Rochdale Council confirming two in the borough were shutting their doors tomorrow entirely, while Wigan Council confirmed three schools would be shut entirely.
Speaking in the House of Commons today, education secretary Gillian Keegan said: "On Tuesday last week as a Government we made a serious offer to the leaders of the National Education Union and the Royal College of Nursing to pause this week’s strikes to get around the table and talk about pay. This is an offer for talks about all areas in dispute, and we could not have been clearer, it’s a serious offer.
"It was accepted by the Royal College of (Nursing) and I would urge the education unions to do the same. They have yet to formally respond, although statements have been circling on Twitter and TV indicating they are not prepared to pause their plans.”
Following the February 1 strike, she said: "I am very grateful to head teachers for all their work to keep our schools open and to minimise the impact of today’s strike action. One school closure is too many and it remains deeply disappointing that the NEU proceeded with this disruptive action.
"But many teachers, head teachers and support staff have shown that children’s education and wellbeing must always come first. Conversations with unions are ongoing and I will be continuing discussions around pay, workload, recruitment and retention, and more.”
Confirmed school closures
Councils in Greater Manchester and the Department for Education have been approached for information on which schools are closed tomorrow, either fully or partially. Lists will be published as they are available.
Wigan Council has provided the following list.
Fully closed:
- Atherton St George's Primary
- Beech Hill Community Primary
- St Thomas CE Junior and Infant, Golborne
Partially closed:
- Aspull Church Primary
- Atherton Sacred Heart Primary
- Britannia Bridge
- Bryn St Peter's CE Primary
- Cansfield
- Chowbent Primary
- Christ Church CE Primary
- Dean Trust Wigan
- The Deanery CE High School
- Fred Longworth High School
- Garrett Hall Primary
- Golborne High
- Hawkley Hall High School
- Hindley Green Community Primary
- Holy Family Catholic Primary, New Springs
- Hope School and College
- Ince CE Primary
- Julian Grant
- Landgate School
- Leigh CE Primary School
- Leigh Central Primary
- Leigh St Mary's CE Primary
- Leigh St Peters CE Primary
- Lowton CE High School
- Lowton Junior and Infant
- Mab's Cross Primary
- Millbrook Primary
- Newbridge Learning Community
- Oakfield High School and College
- Outwood Academy, Hindley
- Parklee Community Primary
- Rowan Tree Primary
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
- Shevington Vale
- St Aidan's Catholic Primary
- St Catherine's Lowton
- St Gabriel's Catholic Primary
- St James' Catholic Primary
- St John's CE, Abram
- St John Fisher Catholic High School
- St John's Mosley Common CE Primary
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary, Leigh
- St Marie's Catholic Primary
- St Patrick's Catholic Primary
- St Peter's CE Primary
- St Peter's Catholic High School
- St Stephen's, Astley
- St Thomas CE Primary
- St Wilfrid's
- St William's
- Standish Community High School
- Westfield Community School
- Westleigh Methodist Primary
- The Westleigh School
- Wigan St Andrew's CE Primary
- Woodfield Primary
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