Teachers on strike on a NEU picket line

A new opinion poll has found that a substantial majority of parents support teachers taking strike action. According to a poll from Ipsos, 60% of parents or guardians support strikes from the National Education Union (NEU).

A plurality of the wider public also support the strikes. 48% of the general public say they support teachers taking strike action.

Members of the NEU in some regions of England are on strike today in their ongoing dispute over pay. On March 14 and 15, teachers across England and Wales will be on strike.

Teachers are seeking an inflation-busting pay rise to match the cost of living crisis and make up for years of pay suppression. Pay for some teachers has fallen by as much as a fifth in real terms since 2010.

Commenting on the polling, the NEU’s joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “While no teacher wants to be on strike action we are grateful for the support of parents, and do not take it for granted. Many understand first-hand the issues faced by schools and colleges and their children’s teachers. They need no persuasion that there is disruption every day of the school year, thanks to the Government’s poor decision-making and short-sighted policies on education.

“We urge Gillian Keegan to start negotiating with the profession to ensure we have a resolution for the sake of teachers and children’s education. The Government’s continued stonewalling of talks will not improve their standing among parents and the general public. We need to see a substantive offer that will address the issues which are eroding this essential public service.”

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Image credit: Fotologic – Creative Commons