HUNDREDS of schools across the region were shut today as striking teachers marched through Manchester.
More than 300 primary and secondaries shut and a further 200 told some pupils to stay at home.
The one-day walkout over pay - the first by teachers in 21 years - has left thousands of parents making alternative childcare arrangements.
Staff who belong to the National Union of Teachers were holding a march and rally outside Manchester town hall. The numbers at the demo were being swelled by college lecturers and civil servants who were also taking industrial action today.
In Oldham there were picket lines outside three secondary schools. At one, Counthill High, around a dozen staff held placards as they stood outside the gates.
Mac Andrassy, the school's union representative, said that teachers across the borough were incensed by the government's pay offer.
The 46-year-old arts teacher said: "We've had three years of below inflation pay increases and the government wants to give us three more. It equates to a six-year pay cut."
Around 120 people took part in a rally at Bolton Central Library. Among them were a number of striking workers who had taken their schoolage children with them.
Sarah Beckett, 30, an English teacher, said: "It is increasingly unattractive for graduates to go into teaching. I left teacher training with a £10,000 debt. For people just joining the profession it's going to take them even longer to work off that debt let alone find a deposit for a house."
But some parents at Wilbraham Primary school in Fallowfield hit out at the striking teachers.
David Hobwood said: " Why should teachers get more money than any of the other services?"
Amie Day accused them of not acting in a `professional way'. She said: "Teaching is a gift where you can change someone's life. They should not be striking."
Childcare centres reported a surge in interest as working parents sought care for primary age children.
Teachers had been discouraged from picketing schools, although the final decision was left to local union branches.
Nationally it was estimated at least one in three schools in England and Wales were closed or partially closed.
The strike was called after teachers rejected a 2.45 per cent pay offer, arguing it was below consumer inflation, currently four per cent.
Avis Gilmore, north west NUT organiser, stressed the action was not directed at headteachers or individual schools. She said: "Our dispute is not with particular schools but with the Secretary of State for Education. We regret we are forced to take action, but parents and pupils are supportive of us."
More than two thirds of schools in Manchester were affected, with 98 of the 168 primaries, secondaries and special schools closed or partially closed.
Across the region, 487 schools were due to shut or cancel some of their classes. Others were remaining open because there were sufficient teachers who were non-union members or affiliated with other organisations.
College lecturers, members of the University and Colleges Union, were also striking along with members of the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents civil servants.
Lecturers have accused college bosses of failing to agree a pay rise. The union wants a six per cent increase or £1,500, whichever is greater.
What do you think? Have your say.
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'Nick Wigmore, who earns £32,000 as a primary teacher in Rochdale, said his family were now struggling to pay for the cost of living.'
I think this guy is going to struggle to get sympathy, from the many people who earn a good deal less than this, that includes people with degrees and a number of years experience in their job under their belt.
How about being paid hourly rather than yearly?..Or even weekly?...I wouldn't have minded being a teacher, but I like my holidays too much :)
"earns £32,000 as a primary teacher in Rochdale, said his family were now struggling to pay for the cost of living"
Sadly, all of us are struggling. We have had 15 years of growth but the last 12 months have been tough. The CPI rate is 2.45% so infact teachers are not greatly losing out.
The fact that the UCU, NUT, PCS and Unite are all striking in the next three days is chickens coming home to roost for Labour. Mts Thatcher broke this cycle of union bullying but Labour are now paying the consequences.
The Royal Mail got 6.7% over two years when the government gave in, so everybody wants a go now. And the CWU still carried on after the deal and are threatening another strike yet again. Brown needs to spend our money wisely and not constantly cave to pressure
teachers are paid a yearly salary, divided into 12 equal payments, no extra pay for extra hours etc. most work many more hours than is obvious to the casual onlooker.
I work fot the nhs and we get a below average pay rise every year but u dont see us striking!!! If we were to do this then its the patient that would suffer and that is not fair!!! Teachers get a lot more money than nurses and nurses save lifes!!
Teachers on 30 grand a year for 36 weeks (180 days)work.
That's around 175 pounds a day! And they are having to struggle? Pull the other one!
£32, 000? That'd be nice.
And my salary is paid in 12 monthly instalments too, and I don't get any extra for additional hours, along with most other people.
One of the problems is that because of the liberal attitude which has been used in raising children very few people are going into teaching. That means that class sizes are increasing. With the National Curriculum and testing this puts even more pressure on teachers. I have experienced both good and bad teachers and a few great teachers, but they all get paid the same. Our children deserve the best education but the Government are trying to teach too much with as usual too few resources. Pupils attack and abuse teachers on a daily basis. Pupils allege they have been bullied and are picked on. What would help would be for teachers to work in an environment which is appropriate for educating our future generations without threat of violence and intimidation. We all go to work for the same reason...MONEY. Anyone wanting to train to be a teacher enters the working arena with massive student debts, there is no other way to qualify. Because so few British Citizens are going into teaching local authorities are now having to recruit teachers from abroad. I agree that nurses too should be paid a better salary. The fact is that public service employees do not get the financial reward that those in private industry get. They do not bring in money as a private industry does. Teachers in private schools can pay their teachers more but they can recoup the larger salaries by charging higher school fees. I support the teachers in their strike. Yes I have had to use a days holiday because of the strike but if that means that there are enough teachers in school to teach my children then it is a small price to pay. I wonder who will be next to strike? Well it won't be the train drivers or power workers because those industries have been privatised but it does seem that as a country we are heading down the same route that the last Labour Government led the UK down prior to Mrs Thatcher becoming Prime Minister. We may not have a "Winter of Discontent" but it is possible that we could have a Summer of discontent instead.
'teachers are paid a yearly salary, divided into 12 equal payments, no extra pay for extra hours etc. most work many more hours than is obvious to the casual onlooker'
Which extra hours are these? the ones over and above teaching hours, I think you'll find most of the rest of us work more than 5 hours a day as a matter of course. Teachers aren't the only ones who work their lunch hours or do work at home within and after a full working day.
Fair play to the teachers!
The weather is getting nicer and they deserve a long weekend, they've not had a holiday since the two week easter break last month!
I worked for 37 years in Local Government. I knew when I entered the pay was poor but the job was 'secure' & if you stuck it out the pension provision was very good. Teachers should understand they are in public service. They have interesting work & are rewarded a lot better than most. Many teachers are married to teachers & have combined incomes of £70K+.
Get back to work.....
Trueblue says: "They have interesting work & are rewarded a lot better than most."
That reward can include assaults, verbal and physical, bullying headteachers and senior management. And the interesting work has gone out of the window since the introduction of the National Curriculum and testing every 5 minutes. Spontaneity and enjoyment are a thing of the past.
As for teachers being married to teachers; What about the teachers who are not married or are divorced and single parents?
And the average teacher is no more on £34,000 a year than I am on £1M a year! Some of the so called Superheads, the ones who brown nose to the Government and the Governing body might be on good money, which, when averaged out,makes it look as if teachers are well paid. Take those SH's out of the equation and I think you will find the ordinary chalk face teacher is on a heck of a lot less.
I left school around 3 years ago, and I recall very well how terribly the teachers were treated by the pupils, there were even several cases of violence on that front. From what I understand it, things have become even worse than that since then. Do you not know what kids are like these days?
Teachers deserve a lot of pay for what they do, because what they need to put up with deserves respect. Teaching as a reality is nothing like they have on the adverts you see these days calling for new teachers.
Its nice to see nobody ripping into the teachers regarding them striking, Yet when workers in the transport sector do it we are the lowlife of society
go figure
"That reward can include assaults, verbal and physical, bullying headteachers and senior management"
So this is what the typical teacher sees as a reward nowadays. Scary! I didn't think teachers were into bullying headteachers.
Teachers are professional people who are earning a professional wage. They talk about working extra hours - Most professional people do without extra pay.
It is sad that the mob mentality of people like WIgan Ben who see successful teachers as brown-nosing. True Labour thinking at its best.
Thirty two grand a year? Many of us can only dream of earning that. This strike just smacks of greed and tunnel vision.
I realise teachers have a difficult job to do. Their hands are tied behind their backs so disruptive pupils get away with it. However, they are well paid and if things are so bad, why are they in teaching? I get just over 3k per year in pension because I was a stay-at-home mum looking after my children, so as you can gather, I don't have too much sympathy. I too worked hard.
Ahhh... the politics of envy (again), from some of this message board's usual moaners.
I'm not, never have been and never will be a teacher, but I thank the good ones who taught me how to express myself through this medium.
I suppose you whingers are all self-taught?
Laura Norder talks about 'envy.' For many of us this is more about justice. There is no bottomless pit and in the current climate I believe there are more deserving causes than teachers. Isn't it more 'just' to compensate the millions of low paid workers who have recently taken a CUT in income due to the abolotion of the 10p tax rate than to direct money at the £32,000 a year teacher whose income hasn't increased by as much as he liked?
1. At what point will people stop saying, Teachers do a good job they deserve more? IF they got a 50% rise this year, you can be damn sure that they would be back next year bleating about RPI/CPI etc. An independent pay review was carried out and 5 other unions accepted it. This is just a left-wing agenda that says unions must argue every year.
2. Why do teachers keep banging on about a summer of discontent? Who are they helping? Look at Labour in the polls. 18% behind the Tories. Do they really want another 18 years of Conservatism , even though they fund Labour
Laura Norder Funny you should mention that point about the moaners, a little bit contradictary wouldnt you say darling? have seen quite a few of your posts and i would say they are quite the moaning type :-)
The photograph you used in this article of Arundale School Hattersley is very dated and presumably
was found in a photo archive.
The school was rebuilt in 2003 and is now a well equiped modern school - quite the reverse of the image your photograph gives.
Please advise where I can e-mail a more recent photograph to.
Regards
Chris Haynes