Schools set to close due to teachers' strike

1:18pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008

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STRIKE action by teachers, planned for tomorrow, will affect hundreds of schools across the News Shopper area.

Thursday's strike is the first industrial action by teachers in more than 20 years.

Members of the National Union of Teachers in England and Wales expect to be joined on the day by 100,000 civil servants and 30,000 lecturers.

Teachers are protesting that their pay rise of 2.45 per cent does not keep pace with inflation which is currently running at 4.1 per cent.

As well as school-gate protests, demonstrating teachers will gather in London to march from Lincoln's Inn Fields to Whitehall and Parliament Square.

The march will finish with a rally at Central Hall in Westminster at 1pm.

• In Bexley

Six Bexley schools are expected to close and another 21 will be forced to partially close.

The six schools which have indicated they will close are special schools Shenstone in Crayford and Woodside in Bexleyheath; Brampton Primary School, Bexleyheath; Barnehurst Junior School, Northumberland Heath; Dulverton Primary School, Sidcup, and East Wickham Infant School, Welling.

The other schools affected include 19 primary and Cleeve Park School, Sidcup, and Bexleyheath School, which will be only partially open.

• In Lewisham

So far 40 schools are expected to be completely closed to pupils for the day - with a similar number at least partially closed.

It is thought only a handful of schools in the borough will be unaffected by the strike.

Teachers are planning to meet outside Lewisham Town Hall in Catford between 9am and 9.30am.

• In Bromley

Bromley Council did not wish to say how many schools will be affected.

But it is rumoured that at least six Bromley schools will close because of the strike and that many others will operate with reduced staff.

A spokesman for Bromley Council said: "We are currently collating information about any industrial action which we will supply to local government employers.

"We have written to all teachers advising on the implications of taking industrial action and have provided guidance to headteachers on the steps they should take to plan for the potential impact.

"Our priority as a council is to minimise any negative effect on pupils in our schools."

Balgowan Primary School, Balgowan Road, Beckenham has 21 class groups and out of these seven will be cancelled tomorrow as their teachers will be on strike.

Notice of the closed classes was given to parents before the spring holiday.

Headteacher, Dr Swatland, said:"We explained the reasons behind the strike to parents. We are making the best of the difficulties.

"We are managing the situation here so there is the least possible disruption at the school."

Other schools open but affected include Crofton Junior School, Town Court Lane, Orpington and Burnt Ash Primary School, Rangefield Road, Bromley.

Lecturers at Bromley College will picket the Rookery Lane campus from 7.45am until 11.30am.

Bromley College University and College Union branch chairman Steve Collinson said: "Further education lecturers are not only paid less than school teachers, but lecturers at Bromley College are paid less than many of their colleagues in other FE colleges."

• In North Kent

More than 200 teachers in Dartford and Swanley and a further 100 from Gravesham are expected to strike, say local NUT representatives.

A total of 39 schools in the area will be affected.