A CARLISE-based teacher and President of the National Education Union has spoken out amid a day of strikes across Cumbria, in which teachers have walked out to demand better pay and conditions for educators across the country.

Louise Atkinson, National President for the NEU, has spoken of 'excellent support' from both teachers and parents on today's picket lines, and called on the government  to 'start talking to' unions about the issues.

She said:"I have been on a picket line this morning outiside a primary school in Carlisle, we have had some excellent support from parents, they can see what's happened to education, they know their kids' education has been damaged by years of underfunding.

"Obviously it is difficult, they're not over the moon that their teachers aren't in front of the class today. But no teacher wants to be on that picket line, they want to be in front of their class - all of the parents that we have spoken to today understand that we are doing this for the future of education."

"The students that I have spoken to have been really supportive.

"They understand, they don't want to miss their days of education, they don't want to miss their teachers but they understand, they see how hard their teachers are working and they see how much they are struggling.

"A lot of teachers are spending money out of their own income to help the students and families they are working with, I think students appreciate [that], they know how hard they are working for them."

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When asked what she wanted from the government, Mrs Atkinson said: "Start talking to us about about pay for educators and funding for education. We told the DFE back in June that we were going to ballot our members, it's taken until last week to even open any conversation with us.

"In those conversations they want to talk a lot about workload, or how the system's structured, but they wouldn't talk about pay.

"In fact, the pay review body they were due to submit the evidence for next year last Friday, and they just haven't submitted that. We are quite concerned, we think it's because there is no indication for a pay uplift for teachers within their submission for that."

The NEU president said that if the government began to tax unearned income, such as dividends on shares, at the same rate earned income was taxed, there would be 'more than enough' funding to give 'every single public sector worker' an in-line with inflation pay rise.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has called strike action by the National Education Union (NEU) 'deeply disappointing'.

Speaking on the first day of teacher strikes in England and Wales, Ms Keegan said: “I am very grateful to head teachers for all their work to keep our schools open and to minimise the impact of today’s strike action.

“One school closure is too many and it remains deeply disappointing that the NEU proceeded with this disruptive action – but many teachers, head teachers and support staff have shown that children’s education and wellbeing must always come first.

“Conversations with unions are ongoing and I will be continuing discussions around pay, workload, recruitment and retention, and more.”

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