School strikes in Chichester: Over 250 people march to County Hall to call for a fully funded pay raise for teachers and more funding

Many schools were forced to close or partially close today (Wednesday, February 1) as members of the NEU took part in the walk out over school funding and a pay rise which they say the government will not fully fund – meaning squeezed school budgets will be further reduced.

Chants of ‘where is Gill?’ rang around County Hall as a dramatically larger than expected crowd demanded improved pay for teachers. The nearly three hundred strong demonstration, four times larger than the police had expected, departed from Market Cross up North Street and snaked around the city walls to the offices of the education secretary.

Anne Barker, a teacher in the Bognor Regis area said: “We are taking this action because we are not getting a living wage, we are dropping behind other professions. We are not recruiting and not retaining teachers and as a consequence the education we are able to provide for young people is not what it should be.”

Jim Habershon travelled from Worthing to join in the demonstration and since he started teaching in 2009, had not received one pay raise. He said: “I do a lot of work training younger teachers and they are not staying in teaching, they are not seeing it as a viable career anymore. 40 per cent of teachers leave after five years. This year in Worthing High School we have eight trainees and six of whom have left already this year. They do not see it as a viable career because of a combination of pay and work load. In the same school, eight teachers left in December, none of whom have taken another job in teaching, they have all left the profession.

"Beyond pay, it is a lack of career support.”

Phil Walker from The Challenge Academy Trust was one of half a dozen who spoke to the mass outside County Hall. He said: “There is absolutely no point giving us a pay rise if it is not fully funded, because if it's not, where's the money coming from? It's coming from the schools and the students.”

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Meanwhile it has been reported nationally in a letter to all schools, Gillian Keegan who is both the MP for Chichester and the Education Secretary, told head teachers that any striking staff must not be paid.

Earlier in the week Mrs Keegan thanked NEU members who have given advance notice of their intention to strike to schools so that head teachers can ‘do everything they can to keep their schools open for as many pupils as possible, particularly for the most vulnerable, children of critical workers and those taking formal exams and assessments.

Union members were under no obligation to give any notice meaning some parents did not know until this morning if their child’s school would be open.