Striking teachers march in Worthing amid calls for better education funding

Teacher members of the NEU and their supporters gathered near the Guildbourne Centre in Worthing this morning (Friday, July 7), before marching through the town displaying banners.

Today’s action was the latest in a number of NEU strikes in state schools and sixth-form colleges in England, with members in the south-east expected to be ‘out in force’ according to the union.

A similar event was held in Chichester this morning, which saw teachers march past the office of Gillian Keegan, the Secretary of State for Education.

An union spokesperson said: “These strike days continue our campaign to win a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise. In early April, 2023, a pay and funding offer from government was rejected by 98 per cent of NEU members on a 66 per cent turnout. Our sister unions held similar votes with equally compelling results. The message to education secretary Gillian Keegan was loud and clear.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “This strike action will see the cancellation of end-of-term events and important transition days to secondary schools, impacting children and causing more disruption for parents.

“We hugely value the work of teachers. Schools are receiving significant additional funding as part of the extra £2bn of investment we are providing for both 2023/24 and 2024/25 which will take school funding its highest level in history next year, as measured by the IFS.

“As part of the normal process, the independent School Teachers’ Review Body has submitted its recommendations to government on teacher pay for 2023/24. We will be considering the recommendations and will publish our response in the usual way.”

Maria Fawcett, regional secretary of the National Education Union, said the decision to take further strike action was made with ‘great reluctance’ but teachers had ‘been left with no choice’.

She added: “In stark contrast to Wales and Scotland, where settlements were reached months ago, the Government of England is intent on dragging its heels. Gillian Keegan has refused to engage and refused to meet with the education unions, in spite of the vast majority of teachers rejecting her initial pay and funding offer at the start of April.

“There is a crisis in education. Schools and colleges are haemorrhaging staff, and those who remain are having to work unacceptably high numbers of additional hours in return for pay which continues to worsen in value.”