Teachers in Scotland will begin a two-day walkout today amid long-running disputes over low pay.
Members of the EIS and NASWUT unions are set to take part in the strike action on Tuesday, February 28 which will see the majority of primary and secondary schools across the country close their doors.
It comes after the EIS staged a couple of days of "targeted" strikes last week in areas represented by key politicians such as Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney.
The EIS are looking for a pay rise of 10 percent for teachers, which the Scottish Government say is "unaffordable".
After the industrial action this week, a further 20 days of rolling strikes are planned for March and April which will affect different council areas on different days.
Here's everything you need to know about the strikes this week and how the schools will be affected.
Which schools will be closed this week?
On Tuesday February 28 and Wednesday March 1, the EIS and NASWUT will stage a national strike - meaning almost every school in the country will be closed.
And if a pay agreement is not reached in time, a further 20 days of rolling strike action will take place from March 13 until April 21.
Members of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) also planned to walk out this week, but they decided to suspend their actions in the expectation of an improved pay offer in the coming days.
Why are teachers striking?
The strikes are a result of a long-running dispute between unions, councils and educators over teachers' rate of pay.
The latest offer from the Scottish Government would see teachers earning up to £80,000 have their pay rise by 6 percent from April 2022, and then another 5.5 percent from the start of the 2023 financial year.
However the EIS are looking for a 10 percent rise and rejected the above offer outright, which the Government have described as "unaffordable".
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the education secretary, has said how "unacceptable" is it that the strike action continues to disrupt the education of young people. This is particularly a concern in the run-up to exam season.
However EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley says support for the strikes is "very strong", and that they will continue until they secure a fair pay settlement.
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