Teachers in England returned to picket lines on Wednesday as they continued their ongoing strike over pay, leading to more disruptions in schools. Many schools are expected to either fully

close or restrict access to students due to the walkouts by members of the National Education Union (NEU), with another strike planned for Friday.

There are concerns that students may miss out on end-of-year activities, such as concerts, trips, sports days, and opportunities to socialize with new classmates, during the strikes in schools and sixth-form colleges this week.

This marks the seventh day of individual schools in England facing walkouts by NEU members since February.

Union leaders have issued a warning that education unions may coordinate strike actions in the autumn term if an agreement on pay cannot be reached.

Speaking from a picket line outside Regent High School in northwest London, NEU general secretary-elect Daniel Kebede stated that teachers are taking on second jobs due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Kebede told the PA news agency, "I'm certain (if other) education unions would like strike ballots in the autumn term there will be coordinated action."

The NEU, along with the NASUWT teaching union, the NAHT school leaders' union, and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), are currently balloting their members in England to take action in the upcoming school year.

In March of this year, the government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% increase for staff next year after intensive talks with education unions. However, all four education unions involved in the dispute rejected the offer, and the decision on teachers' pay in England for the following year has been passed to the independent School Teachers' Review Body (STRB).

Education union leaders have called on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to promptly publish the STRB's recommendation, as the delay is causing "anxiety" in schools and "frustrating headteachers."

Kebede emphasized, "Teachers are taking up second jobs to pay the mortgage, rent, and meet the cost of living. We have a crisis in recruitment and retention, with schools struggling to retain and recruit new teachers. We now have over a million children being taught in classes with over 31 students."

Picket lines were set up outside schools and sixth-form colleges across England on Wednesday morning, with several rallies planned. Striking teachers will march in Westminster in London before participating in a rally in Parliament Square.

Jake Goodman, a teacher at Regent High School in London, highlighted that he has colleagues in other schools where the buildings are "literally falling apart around them," and there is insufficient funding to address the issue. Photo by AnemoneProjectors (talk), Wikimedia commons.