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Teacher strike over 'inadequate' school funding

The National Union of Teachers is staging a strike today over what it says is inadequate school funding.

A demonstration in support of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), as teachers in England are to stage a one-day strike over pay and conditions. Credit: PA

NUT acting leader Kevin Courtney is calling for an increase in funding to meet rising costs for schools.

Education Secretary Nikki Morgan has said the strike will "damage the profession's reputation in the eyes of the public".

In a letter to Mr Courtney she urged him to reconsider the industrial action:

Removing unnecessary workload for teachers is a priority for this government, and we have made this clear in our discussions.

To suggest we aren’t prioritising school funding is disingenuous...This year the schools budget will total around £40bn, an increase of around £4 billion since 2011-12, so it is now the highest it has ever been.

It is also disappointing that the underpinning basis for this strike seems to be teacher pay.

I believe this action is counterproductive – it will harm children’s education, inconvenience parents and damage the profession’s reputation in the eyes of the public.

– Nikki Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education
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Teachers' strike: Schools across North East affected by action