National Union of Teachers' strike set for 10 July
Schools in England and Wales face disruption next month, as the National Union of Teachers says it will take strike action on 10 July, along with other public sector unions.
By Sean CoughlanBBC News education correspondent Christine Blower, the union's general secretary, said it was a "last resort". "For teachers, performance related pay, working until 68 for a full pension and heavy workload for 60 hours a week, is unsustainable," she said. The Department for Education said there was "no justification" for striking. The NUT leader said that next month's strike date had been chosen to "cause minimum disruption to examinations" - and that "we deeply regret the disruption it causes parents and pupils". Workload The teachers' union has been in talks with the government over its dispute over pay, pensions and workload. But Ms Blower said the talks were "only about the implementation of government policies, not about the fundamental issues we believe to be detrimental to education and the profession". A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said that talks were still ongoing and there was no justification for a strike. "Ministers have also met frequently with the unions and will continue to do so. "Further strike action will only disrupt parents' lives, hold back children's education and damage the reputation of the profession," said the Department for Education spokeswoman. "We know that the vast majority of our teachers and school leaders are hardworking and dedicated professionals. "That is why we are giving teachers more freedoms than ever and cutting unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy. In fact, teaching has never been more attractive, more popular or more rewarding."