SCHOOLS in England and Wales could be the next to be hit by the strike action sweeping the country.
Closure of schools could cause untold strain on families as working parents try to find care for their children.
Teachers' unions all over the country are currently having ballots on potential industrial action.
Pupils could see their schools close if the latest round of strikes go ahead, with members of the National Education Union (NEU), The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), and NASUWT – The Teachers' Union, being balloted over strike action.
The NAHT, NEU, NASUWT and the TUC are urging members to use their ballots to send a strong message to the government
Ballot papers were sent out in October and November 2022.
The collective ballots will all be closed by January 13, 2023.
The disagreement all stems from teacher's pay.
Scotland offered a 5% pay increase, which was dismissed, with teachers wanting around 10%.
NASUWT is calling for a fully-funded 12% pay award for 2022/23, stating that with inflation above 11%, the current offer is nothing more than a pay-cut.
Most state-school teachers in England and Wales have received a 5% pay increase this year.
Teachers in Northern Ireland have been offered a 3.2% pay increase over the last two years.
Scotland already has a number of dates in January where industrial action is planned.
Sixteen days of strike-action has been agreed for the start of 2023 which will affect many areas.
It remains to be seen what the outcomes of the ongoing ballots are in England and Wales before we can understand fully how schools will be affected.
The decisions will rest with the following:
Parents and guardians are entitled to time off if normal arrangements are broken, but it would be up to the employer if they would pay for this time off.
New qualified teachers (NQT) start with a pay scale ranging from £28,000 to £34,502 depending on location.
The Scottish equivalent of an NQT is a probationer, who, unlike an NQT, is initially employed on a probationary contract.
The current probationer's salary is £27,498.
In Northern Ireland, the minimum salary on the main pay scale is £24,137.
The pay scales for qualified teachers are split into main and upper pay ranges, which differ between countries across the UK:
The highest teaching salaries across the UK are paid to headteachers:
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