PARENTS are bracing themselves for the first national teachers' strike in 21 years.

More than 280 schools across the region could close tomorrow and a further 207 will be telling some of their pupils to stay at home.

It will be a massive headache for working mums and dads, many of whom are trying to arrange last-minute child care.

And companies are still preparing themselves for mass absences because of the one-day walkout, which is being staged by the National Union of Teachers over pay and conditions.

Christine Blower, acting head of the NUT, defended the strike, saying: "It will make clear to the government that we are very serious about this pay campaign.

"I hope it will make them realise that paying teachers below the rate of inflation cannot go on."

About a quarter of schools in England and Wales are set to be disrupted by the walkout. There has been a national rush to find child care places.

Education officials at local authorities across Greater Manchester were yesterday still working to assess the exact number of schools that will be closed or partially closed.

But the ten authorities in Greater Manchester were predicting that 282 would be completely closed and a further 207 would be closed to some classes or year groups.