We're being walked all over, say Shropshire teachers
Shropshire teachers today claimed they were being "walked all over" by the Government, as they joined thousands of others on a one-day strike over pay, pensions and working conditions.
A total of 20 primary schools run by Shropshire Council are closed with another 13 partially open. Fourteen secondary schools in Shropshire are also closed, two partially open and two special schools closed.
In Telford & Wrekin, 11 council-run schools are closed and nine are partially open. Plans for a one-day walkout before Christmas have also been announced.
See the list of schools affected here
Dozens of teachers from all corners of Shropshire took part in the industrial action today – the latest in a wave of regional strikes organised by two of England's biggest teaching unions, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT.
Tens of thousands of schoolchildren are expected to be affected by the walkout, which was taking place across four English regions.
A coach left Abbey Foregate, in Shrewsbury, at 8.30am before picking up morer teachers in Wellington and Telford on their way to a national march in Birmingham.
Anne Chambers, a teacher at Whitchurch Junior School in Whitchurch, was one of the 20 teachers joining the coach in Shrewsbury.
She organised the coach on behalf of the NASUWT and said teachers worked extremely long hours for very little reward.
"There are lots of different reasons why we are striking today including reduction in our pensions and working conditions," she said.
"They have increased our workload so much over the years – you would not believe the amount of paperwork we now have.
"It seems they attract teachers to the profession with different incentives and gradually they have taken them away one by one.
"I feel there's a lot of support within the teaching profession but a lot of that support is silent support and there are also a lot of assumptions, particularly within the media, that are wrong."
Another teacher on the coach to Birmingham was Jane Fleetwood-Smith, who works at Whitchurch Infants School in Whitchurch.
She said: "At the age of 70 I will still be expected to sit on these little plastic chairs in the classroom and we will all need hip replacements. It is ridiculous. I just feel we are getting walked all over and we need to stand up for teacher's rights."
A retired teacher, who asked not to be named, also joined the march today and added: "This government isn't listening to us and that is why we're walking out today.
"These are relentless attacks from this government not just on teachers pay and conditions but on the education system as a whole.
"Every education minister comes in and makes changes but Michael Gove is just trying to make a name for himself."
The walkout will affect schools in 49 local authorities in East of England, the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside. Dozens of county teachers were also travelling by train to the demonstration in England's second city. NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "The overwhelming majority of teachers in four regions will be on strike today.
"Strike action is a last resort, teachers have been left with no choice but to demonstrate their anger and frustration in the face of their genuine concerns being dismissed and trivialised."
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "No teacher takes strike action lightly but the intransigence of this Education Secretary has left teachers with no choice.
"We cannot stand by and watch our profession be systematically attacked and undermined." Government officials have condemned the move, saying it is "disappointed" the unions have decided to strike.
A DfE spokeswoman said: "It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government's measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more."
A recent poll found that 61 per cent of those questioned backed linking teachers' pay to performance – a key Government reform currently being introduced – she insisted, adding that the survey also found that majority of respondents were opposed to the walkouts or thought teachers should not be allowed to strike.
The first regional walkout took place in the North West on June 27, and further strikes are expected to take place on October 17 in the North East, South East, South West and London.
