‘my biggest class is 37 children, squished in like sardines’

TEACHERS in England took strike action on 27 April for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise.

Ella Fairley, NEU rep at Queen Elizabeth High School (pictured right), in Hexham, Northumberland, told Educate: “There are between 25 and 30 of us on the picket line, which is amazing. It’s really positive – just a real sense of community. We’ve got flags and banners, and someone’s brought bubbles.

“We’ve had lots of people waving, and our students, parents and senior leadership are all really supportive.

“We’d much rather be in the classroom, but we know how necessary this is. The Government offer was insulting. We need to fight. Everyone is feeling the complete lack of funding.

“This is my second year at the school, and I’ve seen the number of support staff go down and down, and they’re so vital to us. And children are being taught by non-specialists -

London Demo

the school is struggling to find supply cover for absence.

“My biggest class is 37 children. They’re squished into the classroom like sardines and I’m trying to get around to every single one of them. It’s all come from underfunding.

“There are people being kept on temporary contracts. That’s really difficult for them. My husband is a primary teacher in Morpeth. He’s an ECT 2 and on a temporary contract. We have a mortgage. You feel like you can’t plan your life.

“We want a pay award that is fully funded. The fact it’s not funded is the reason people rejected it. We’d love to get a pay award like Scotland did.”

post your re-ballot

The NEU is re-balloting members for industrial action in the autumn term if members are not offered a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise. Fellow teaching union NASUWT and head teacher unions NAHT and ASCL are balloting their members too.

If all unions return Yes votes, strikes will impact almost every school in the country.

28 July Closing Date

Sackfuls of ballot papers are arriving every day. The ballot closes on 28 July. The NAHT and ASCL’s ballots – the first in the union’s 150-year history – close on 31 July.

“Each vote is another message to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan that she must find a settlement,” said Mary and Kevin.

“She can no longer hide behind the STRB – she has the report and she must act on it. With four education unions balloting members for strike action in the autumn term, this should be a wake-up call.”

Support Staff Ballot

From 23 June, the NEU will be balloting all support staff in maintained schools in England over the failure of the Secretary of State to provide adequate school funding, leading to worsening employment terms and conditions for school support staff.