Schools braced for pay strike

Strike action by militant teachers will seriously affect nearly half of London's schools tomorrow, according to local education authorities.

A survey of town halls has revealed significantly more than 1,000 out of 2,200 schools in the capital will either close or be severely disrupted by the one-day stoppage. It is being called by the National Union of Teachers and is the first industrial action about pay for 30 years.

Figures compiled from 24 of the 32 education authorities indicate the scale of the disruption. Eight of the authorities have yet to hear from headteachers which schools will close, including areas of strong NUT militancy, such as Hackney and Islington.

The decision to close schools is being left to heads who must decide whether reduced staffing levels are unsafe. Other teaching unions have already made it clear they will not cover for striking NUT members.

Primary schools are most likely to close tomorrow, but dozens of secondary schools across the capital will also be hit in protest at this year's 3.5 per cent pay deal.

The deal offers teachers in inner London only £2 extra per week on local allowances, taking the London weighting to slightly more than £3,000 - compared with £6,000 for Metropolitan police officers. The NUT says increasing London allowances is crucial to stop young teachers leaving schools in the capital and taking jobs in cheaper areas of the country - leaving their children to be taught by a succession of supply teachers.

Education Secretary Estelle Morris today issued a last-minute appeal to NUT members not to strike. She said: "I hope that the NUT, even at this late stage, sees sense and calls off their strike. It will achieve nothing except to damage children's education and the image of the teaching profession."

While ruling out further talks on this year's pay, Ms Morris said she was ready to discuss how to keep teachers in the capital. "I am always read to discuss these issues sensibly. But I will not have my hand forced by industrial action," she said.

A spokesman for the NUT said that the likely impact of the strike should send a "powerful message" to the Government about the depth of anger felt by London teachers.

"If education authorities have got their figures right, it shows just how deeply teachers are concerned about the damage that is being done to their pupils' education," said the spokesman. The estimate for tomorrow's school closures gave the lie to Government "spin" that the turnout in the NUT ballot was only 30 per cent which suggested that the strike would be a flop, the spokesman said.

In a related dispute the NUT is locked in a row with teacher employers about how much money its members will lose if they strike on Thursday. The National Employers' Organisation for School Teachers (NEOST) is threatening to dock £150 from the salary of a teacher on £30,000 but the NUT says teachers should lose half that.

NEOST has taken a hard line since the NUT first threatened industrial action over this year's pay deal. Some education authorities, it says, do not have the resources to pay even the flat-rate 3.5 per cent teachers are being offered. NUT general secretary Doug McAvoy has threatened legal action but Graham Lane, NEOST chairman, said. "If Mr McAvoy wants to take us to court, let him."

Mr Lane who is also education chairman in Newham, said indications were that around a third of its schools would be closed completely tomorrow and another third would lose some lessons. He added: "The money teachers lose in pay goes back to schools, so if a lot of teachers do go on strike, schools should be able to buy a fair number of extra books."

A spokesman for the NUT said: "There appears to be some misunderstanding over this. We hope the matter can be resolved without legal action."

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