A teacher at a Nottinghamshire secondary school writes exclusively for Nottinghamshire Live about their experience on the picket line as one of thousands around the UK who walked out of classrooms on Wednesday, February 1. We have protected their identity to give them the confidence to speak out about their experience.
"Going on strike is not a decision a teacher makes lightly.
The potential disruption it causes goes against the reasons somebody goes into the education profession.
As an educator, you don’t go into it for the money, you go into it to shape the minds of future generations and to make a difference.
As Rishi Sunak said at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday: "I am clear that our children's education is precious and they deserve to be in school, being taught.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan also said: “Teachers do a fantastic job.”
I agree with the Secretary of State on that and with the Prime Minister that education is precious.
Read more: Teacher strike updates as action takes place across Nottinghamshire
That said, I decided to take industrial action like many others, because I wanted to make a positive difference in the long run.
I felt nervous this morning as going on strike is something I’ve never done before.
However, my anxieties were eased when I saw fellow staff in the coffee shop we were meeting at.
I immediately felt I wasn’t alone and after speaking to members of other striking unions, the centre of Nottingham took on a collegiate feel.
As I approached Carrington Street, I was amazed by the size of the crowd. It showed just how much NEU members and other union members in Nottingham cared about their cause and the cause of others.
Members of multiple unions representing a variety of different jobs were proudly flying their flags and holding up their signs.
Some teaching related signs of note were, ‘If you read this… thank your teachers’, ‘Tax the rich, buy me glue sticks’, ‘I’d rather be marking than marching, and ‘You’ve got to fight for your right to properly funded schools.'
The march began just after 11am and the feeling of the crowd was friendly and welcoming. It was very much the definition of a peaceful protest.
The ensuing rally at the Albert Hall was full. When it began, those inside made their voices heard. The noise was deafening.
The message from the speakers was clear. They wanted their workers to be treated fairly, with dignity and to receive the pay they deserved.
From a educational perspective, the point was made that something needed to be done about teacher recruitment and retention and that pay rises shouldn’t come from stretched school budgets.
Those that spoke were passionate with their message and the audience responded with cheering and clapping.
The most poignant moment of the day for me was walking past a pushchair on Market Square with a sign saying, ‘Invest in our futures’, as two small children sat and watched the long line of people file past.
It reinforced what today was about.
From a teaching standpoint, it was about a collective effort to protect the future of the educational system and those within it to ensure teaching is still an attractive occupation for years to come.
So for when the day comes those two small children start school, they will be entering a classroom which is fully resourced and taught by a teacher who isn’t worried about pay and conditions. They can focus solely on teaching.
If going on strike today brings about that sort of change, then it will have been fully worth it."
Add your thoughts to the conversation in our commenting section below.
