Striking Melton teachers say underfunding is damaging schools and education standards

Staff members at Brownlow Primary School say they are joining in with the nationwide action being taken by the National Education Union (NEU) to protect the quality of education for current pupils and future generations.

They are angry about pay levels and point out that teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate because of working conditions.

Employees want the Department for Education to invest more in schools to provide adequate resources to support children, particularly those with special educational needs.

Union rep, George Rhodes, a reception teacher at Brownlow, told the Melton Times this morning: “This should be the best job in the world but what is happening is pushing people out of teaching and they are leaving in droves.

"We don’t want to be out here on a picket line, we want to be with the children in these last few days of term but if we don’t take any action nothing will change.”

Brownlow staff were also on strike on Wednesday morning and NEU members have now taken eight days of industrial action since February 1 as part of the union’s campaign for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise.

In early April 2023, a pay and funding offer from the government was rejected by 98 per cent of NEU members on a 66 per cent turnout.

A re-ballot of NEU teacher members in state schools opened on May 15, and will close on July 28.

George said: “The pay increase is a smaller aspect, to be honest, although a lot of people in the profession are struggling in the current cost of living crisis.

“We are losing teaching assistants and we are having to work longer hours because of the shortage of resources.”

He added: “We have had great support from parents about the action we are taking and school leaders have been supportive too.”

Lucy Hopley, regional secretary of the East Midlands Region of the National Education Union, said: “It is with great reluctance that our members are taking further strike action, but teachers have been left with no choice.

“In stark contrast to Wales and Scotland, where settlements were reached months ago, the government of England is intent on dragging its heels.

"Gillian Keegan has refused to engage and refused to meet with the education unions, in spite of the vast majority of teachers rejecting her initial pay and funding offer at the start of April.”

The union claim that an independent review conducted by the School Teachers’ Review Body, which has not yet been published, recommends a 6.5 per cent rise for teachers and they call on the government to confirm this so they can put it members.

"The government is infuriating teachers and letting pupils down,” added Ms Hopley.

Back in March, the government offered teachers in four unions an additional one-off payment of £1,000.

A 4.3 per cent pay rise was also offered for most teachers from next year, making starting salaries around £30,000.

But the NEU and the other unions rejected it, leading to further strikes.

Brownlow, which has remained open during the strikes, closes for summer holidays on Wednesday.