Majority of schools affected by strikes

NEARLY nine in 10 schools and sixth-form colleges in England and Wales with teachers on strike have shut their doors to some pupils, a survey suggests.

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The majority of schools have been affected by the first day of walkouts by tens of thousands of National Education Union (NEU) members, according to a snapshot poll by a school leaders’ union.

Among the 920 schools and sixth-form colleges polled where teachers were on strike, 11% reported being fully open with all students on site.

Four in five (80%) said they were partially open with some students on site and 9% said they were completely shut during the strikes, the survey by the Association of School and College Leaders suggests.

The biggest strike in a decade is under way, with up to half a million workers walking out in increasingly bitter disputes over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of seven trade unions have been taking industrial action, affecting schools, universities, trains and buses.