Across the Isle of Wight today (Wednesday), as well as across England and Wales, teachers took strike action calling on the Government to provide for a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise.
A rally in Newport also saw parents, pupils and supporters gather in solidarity with the teaching staff who feel they have no option other than to take strike action.
Shreeve: Government short-changed staff, schools and Local Authority for over a decade
Commenting on today’s strike, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, told News OnTheWight,
“Today, teachers in Island schools took strike action in pursuit of a fully-funded, above inflation pay rise. The government has short-changed staff, schools and the Local Authority for over a decade, with significant real-terms cuts to pay and persistently unfunded rises which schools and the council cannot afford.
“The legacy is all too clear, with schools having to cut services to the bone and a recruitment and retention crisis that is a detriment to children’s education every single day. One day’s disruption through strike action is dwarfed by the long-term damage caused by government policy on education funding, on workload, and on pay.”
Shreeve: Minister is letting this generation of children down
Mr Shreeve continued,
“Gillian Keegan [Secretary of State for Education], in her continued refusal to take on board the concerns of teachers and support staff, is letting this generation of children down. The Government needs to invest in education.
“You can’t have decent growth in an economy if you don’t invest in education, if you don’t invest in public services. The Government has got to get to grips with that.”
Shreeve: An indication of the level of anger and frustration
Mr Shreeve went on to add,
“National NEU research from today tells us that around 85 per cent of schools nationally were affected by our strike action today. This is no cause for celebration, but an indication of the level of anger and frustration amongst our members.
“Indeed, as I listened to members on two pickets and then in the St Thomas’s Square rally, we kept asking: Will Government ever learn?”
Shreeve: Government’s thresholds designed to prevent strike action happening
The NEU Assistant District Secretary went on to say,
“A number of non-strikers and those absent from work, but concerned about being in the spotlight have already contacted me asking about participating more next time. Thus, today was a huge statement from the determined Isle of Wight membership who smashed through the Government’s thresholds that were only ever designed to prevent strike action happening at all.”
He concluded,
“Today, we put the education secretary on notice. She has until our next strike day for England, 28th February, to change her stance. NEU members do not want to go on strike again. They want constructive talks that deal directly with the long-standing concerns they experience in their schools and colleges every day. So that they can get back to doing what they do best, working with pupils in the classroom.
“However, be in no doubt that our members will do whatever it takes to stand up for education, including further strike action, if Gillian Keegan still fails to step up with concrete and meaningful proposals.”
Images: Supplied by Peter Shreeve
