Parents breaking school strike 'may harm children'

The head of a teaching union today called on parents not to help keep schools open during the planned teachers' strike, saying they could put children "in danger".

Mary Bousted, head of the normally moderate Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said well-meaning parents could do more harm than good if they volunteer to look after pupils while teachers take industrial action.

About one in four schools could close during the strike on Thursday over changes to teachers' pensions.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has suggested that mothers and fathers of pupils could help break the strike.

But speaking this morning Ms Bousted said: "Some parents with the best of intentions could put themselves in danger and children in danger. They should not do it." It comes as Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, warned there could be further industrial action to come, saying: "There has to be a possibility of there being further industrial action."

Mr Courtney's warning came ahead of crunch talks between unions and ministers over the Coalition's planned public sector pension shake-up.

He said teachers still wanted to avoid Thursday's strike but only if the Government was prepared to offer concessions on the plan to make them work longer and pay more into pension schemes.

But other union sources played down suggestions that the walkout - which could involve up to 750,000 public servants - would be averted.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the civil service PCS union whose members will also strike on Thursday, said negotiations so far had been a "sham". He told the Standard: "I would be very surprised if there is enough in the talks to avoid the strikes on Thursday."

Mr Serwotka also warned of joint strikes with other unions in the autumn amid suggestions industrial action could rival the general strike of 1926. Ministers are considering strike-busting arrangements that could involve a change in the law.

Katie Ivens from the Campaign for Real Education suggested that parents who normally volunteer in schools - and have already had security checks -should help out during the strike. She suggested it was immoral for teachers to walk out.

But Ms Bousted said: "The ATL has not taken industrial action in 127 years. Do you think we would be doing so if we thought there was any other way?"