Teachers in England are set to strike next month over pay, conditions and funding, the largest union for the profession has announced.
Members of the National Union of Teachers voted to walk out for one day on 5 July with further action expected to follow.
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Their demands are increased funding, guaranteed terms and conditions for all school types and for talks over workload mitigation to be resumed.
Some 91 per cent of union members backed the action – which the NUT said it was “not taking lightly” – on a turnout of 25 per cent.
NUT deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney said waning teacher recruitment would “simply deepen” without an alternative approach.
“In light of the huge funding cuts to schools, worsening terms and conditions, and unmanageable and exhausting workloads, teachers cannot be expected to go on without significant change,” he said.
“The effects on children’s education are also real and damaging.”
He added: “There is already a teacher recruitment and retention crisis in our schools. Without significant change to the pay and working condition of teachers, this will simply deepen.
“We know that many parents share our concerns.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “It is disappointing the National Union of Teachers has chosen to take unnecessary and damaging strike action, which less than a quarter of its members voted for.
“It is even more disappointing when we have offered and committed to formal talks between ministers and the unions to address their concerns about pay.
“Industrial action causes disruption to children’s education and parents who have to take time out of work to arrange childcare, we urge the NUT not to proceed with this strike and to resolve pay disputes at the negotiating table rather than playing politics with children’s futures”
