Nearly all schools in Wales will be affected by Wednesday's strike by teachers, the National Education Union has warned. Thousands of pupils will be affected as staff walk out in a row over pay and funding.
Schools across Wales will shut on February 1 as strikers picket at school gates from north to south and join rallies in Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Colwyn Bay and Machynlleth. Last ditch talks with the Welsh Government and its unspecified one-off payment offer to teachers last week failed to avert the walk out.
The NEU Cymru, which is one of the largest teaching unions in Wales, said talks with Welsh Government officials are expected to continue on Wednesday but too late to avert the walk out. See the list of school closures here. Separately, headteachers in the National Association of Headteachers will be working to rule indefinitely from February 1 as part of their dispute with the Welsh Government. And there are also university strikes in Wales on Wednesday.
Read more: How much teachers get paid in Wales: The full salary scale from £28,866
Unions have branded the 5% pay offer to teachers “an insult” and say years of under funding has prompted a recruitment and retainment crisis that is damaging children’s education. Further strikes are planned . The dates of the next teachers and support staff strikes in Wales are on February 14, March 15 and March 16.
NEU Wales Secretary David Evans accused the Welsh Government of failing to fund education adequately since devolution. He said it was not just a matter of under funding from Westminster. There are set to be pickets at schools all around Wales from early on Wednesday morning.
And later in the day, strikers and their supporters will also gather at a demonstration organised by the TUC Wales, the NEU and UCU outside the HMRC tax office in Cardiff's central square, as well as in Castle Square, Swansea, and Queens Gardens Colwyn Bay, all at 11.30am and there will also be a university strike rally at Cathays Park in Cardiff .
Councils have been updating information about which schools will be completely or partially shut, but have warned parents and carers that the full picture won’t be clear until tomorrow as staff don’t have to inform heads if they are striking. One headteacher has admitted she may text parents soon after 9am asking them to return to collect their children.
See more details of which schools around Wales are shutting here.
Mr Evans said that years of under funding had seen teachers’ pay eroded by as much as 20% and inadequate resources and lack of teachers meant some schools employed staff without teaching qualifications to plug gaps, even in exam year classes. He said as many as 20% of new teachers leave the profession in the first five years of work because the job is so stressful and poorly paid.
“Westminster has its part to play but we believe the Welsh Government could look at its reserves and what they spend and they should make sensible choices. There are reserves in local authorities that could be used,” he said.
“Through the vast majority of devolution Wales has said it aspires to having a world class education system, but never put in adequate resources for that - it’s time to stump up if those aspirations are true.”
Mr Evans said the union hopes to meet with Welsh Government officials tomorrow afternoon. Describing the mood among members as “angry and determined” he said the message from parents and carers was that they backed the strikes.
“The message we are getting is that parents and others understand why we are doing this. It’s not just about pay. We are doing this not only for our members but for the future of education.
“Parents will be aware of changes in the classroom and teachers leaving.”
The Welsh Government was approached for comment.
The latest information from councils on school closures
Councils urged parents and carers to check school and council websites for information on closures as it is updated. Monmouthshire Council said 10 of its 35 schools will shut and 18 partially shut. On Anglesey 16 schools will fully open, 24 will shut and four partially open.
Powys warned it was likely that more schools will update their status between now and tomorrow morning, leaving the full picture uncertain.
Most schools in Cardiff and Swansea will be shut or only partly open. In Denbighshire 20 schools are listed as shut and open. No schools will be fully open in Ceredigion where nearly all will shut apart from eight which will be partially open.
In Newport, not all schools have confirmed their plans to the local authority but the majority have. So far six primary schools have said they will be open, with the rest of the city's schools either partially open or closed.In Torfaen, four schools will fully close and several will partially close while in Blaenau Gwent allbut one school will shut .
Flintshire Council is reporting 27 schools will shut, 11 open and 10 will be partially shut while in Carmarthenshire 54 schools and education units will be open, 20 shut and 39 partially shut. Pembrokeshire said half of its 60 schools will be affected and 23 will be shut in the Vale of Glamorgan. A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “The full extent of the industrial action cannot be known until the day itself." See the full list of schools shutting in the Vale of Glamorgan here
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said it is making plans to provide school meals even if buildings are shut. A council spokesperson said some schools will shut and the council has written to all parents and carers, confirming that their child’s school will aim to let them know about the school’s arrangements at least three working days before each industrial action day.
In Denbighshire 18 schools have confirmed they will close, including Denbigh and Prestatyn high schools. Caerphilly Council has written to parents explaining schools can’t open without safe levels of staffing. Around 60 schools in Caerphilly will shut, eight open and the rest partially open.
A Bridgend Council spokesperson said: “Schools will base their decision to open or close on their individual context, staff supervision levels and risk assessments. All schools will aim to inform parents about closures, at least three working dates before each of the days listed above. However, some schools will make the decision to remain open or to close on the day of the proposed strike.” You can see the full list of Bridgend schools fully or partially shutting in this article.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: "Our members are taking a stand today for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise, because the profession cannot go on like this. Parents know the consequences of persistent underfunding, both for their school/college and for their child.
"This strike should not be necessary, and we regret the disruption caused to parents and pupils, but our aims are in the interests of everyone in the education community.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "“We have held constructive meetings with unions and these will continue. We want to reassure learners, parents and carers that we are working with partners to resolve the current dispute and that we understand the strength of feeling amongst the education workforce.
"Unlike the UK Government, we are not responding to the strikes by bringing forward new, draconian laws, which would restrict workers’ rights. Instead, we are working in social partnership with unions to explore a way to resolve the current dispute.”
Read next:
- How much teachers get paid in Wales: The full salary scale from £28,866
- Headteacher explains why he's shutting his school when teachers strike next week
- Teachers explain why they've taken 'tough' decision to strike as Welsh schools in 'crisis
- Teachers' rage at Welsh Government plans to change school year and warn people will leave the profession
- Parents told they may get a text after 9am on school strike day asking them to collect their child
