"STRIKING is a last resort but it has become neccesary".
That's the view of the Northumberland National Education Union (NEU) district secretary.
It comes as more than 100,000 teachers are expected to strike on the first day of industrial action on February 1.
The NEU has said it has received 22,000 new sign-ups after announcing it will launch seven days of walkouts throughout February and March in England and Wales.
"Teachers have had real-terms pay cuts for many years", said Alex Snowdon on behalf of local members. "This year, with inflation so high, we are looking at the biggest real-terms cut to date. Striking is a last resort, but it has become necessary.
"There is a crisis of recruitment and retention that is getting even worse - this will have a big impact on children's education. We also desperately need more funding into schools.
"The pay rise must be fully funded by central government."
Some 300,000 teachers and support staff were asked to vote in the NEU ballot – and more than 127,000 teacher members and 16,000 support staff members in England and Wales backed action.
Alex added: "Nothing else has made the Government listen. We hope that striking will show the strength of feeling.
"We hope that parents, families and communities will support us, recognising that we are campaigning for schools and everyone in them. Valuing hard-working school staff is essential.
"We want to be in the classroom working with children and young people. It is the Government refusing to negotiate that lies behind the strike."
Guidance from the Department for Education suggests agency staff and volunteers could be used to cover classes on strike days, with schools expected to remain open where possible.
The NEU is required by law to provide schools with the number of members in a workplace ahead of the planned strike action, but the union does not have to provide the names of individual members to employers.
NAHT school leaders’ union and the NASUWT teachers’ union both failed to achieve the 50% ballot turnout required for strike action.
The Courant has asked Northumberland County Council for a list of full or partial school closures.
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