Teachers could face tougher laws on strikes

RISHI Sunak may toughen up strike laws which will force teachers to give proper notice if they go out on strike.

- Sam Lister

Headteachers were left struggling to work out what level of staffing they would need in their classrooms during yesterday’s walkout as teachers only had to notify them on the day.

More than half of schools in England were either fully closed or restricted access to pupils in the first national teaching strike since 2016.

Downing Street said it was keeping laws under “review” over whether unions would be forced to give notice to headteachers.

The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: “In terms of the minimum service legislation we are retaining the ability to apply that to education.

“That’s not the step we’re taking in the first instance. Obviously, we need to keep that under review.”

The National Education Union (NEU) said more than 200,000 of its members went out on strike.

Impact

Secondary schools were more likely to have closed their doors to pupils than primary schools, according to government figures.

Of the 77 per cent of English state schools that supplied information, 45.9 per were fully open and 44.7 per cent had limited opening.

Nearly one in ten were forced to shut down completely for the day.