Two More Teacher Strike Days Announced For Island Schools

"No teacher on the Isle of Wight or on the mainland wants to be on strike", that from an Island Union leader as teachers who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) have rejected a pay offer today.

Industrial action is now planned for  27th April and 2nd May.

The NEU, a trade union for school teachers, further education lecturers, education support staff and teaching assistants have balloted on the Government's pay offer today which has been rejected by an overwhelming 98% of NEU teacher members in England on a turnout of 66%.

191,319 serving teachers in state schools in England have voted to reject Gillian Keegan's offer in less than six days.

 Commenting on the result, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union for the Isle of Wight said:

"On hearing this resounding rejection of the Government's offer this morning at the NEU annual national conference in Harrogate, we were somewhat taken aback at the numbers, who voted and the overwhelming rejection. This should leave the Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan in no doubt that the onus is on her to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal to solve this desperate situation in the education system. It cannot be allowed to worsen and must be improved.

“The Joint General Secretaries have today written to the education secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on 27 April and 2 May that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.

"These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.

"No teacher on the Isle of Wight or on the mainland want to be on strike. To accept this offer would ensure nothing happens to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK. Neither will this offer do anything to stem the teacher recruitment and retention crisis which is so damaging to learners, staff and our society as a whole.”.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretaries of the National Education, said:

“The education secretary has united the profession in its outrage at this insulting pay offer. It is now for her to rectify that situation by starting to value education. The NEU is ready as we have stated all along to negotiate with ministers, but this time we hope a lesson has been learnt.  Gillian Keegan needs to start negotiations with respect for the profession she is supposedly representing in Government.

"To parents we say that we have no wish to disrupt education, indeed our action is aimed at getting the Government to invest in the education of this generation of children and the people who teach them.

The union is asking school reps to plan with head teachers to ensure year 11 and 13 students have a full programme of education on the strike days to avoid any disruption to exam preparation.

An Isle of Wight Council Spokesperson said:

“The Department for Education has provided guidance to the 39 Island schools on the implications of the potential industrial action. The National Education Union’s dispute is not with the County Council, but with the Government regarding pay.

“Any decisions to close schools will be for individual Headteachers and their governing bodies to make and will be based on their ability to open the school safely, and to maintain a full or revised curriculum. It should be noted that Headteachers may not be in a position to gauge the potential impact of any planned strike action ahead of time, as staff do not have to declare their intention to participate until the day itself.”