Chris Davis: Parent

"I have three children at schools in Oxford and I fully support today's action by teachers.

The government's proposals for education seek to undermine comprehensive education and we've already seen the effects here.

My daughter attends a school which recently became an academy, despite overwhelming opposition from parents.

Within a year or so, following the retirement of one of her teachers, we received an email saying that this experienced member of staff was being replaced by an unqualified teacher.

At another academy nearby, a loss of funding has seen teaching assistants cut.

At my son's primary school, we've had people leafleting at the main gates - they are trying to recruit to a religious "free school" being established nearby.

We need decent, local schools, with qualified teachers, who aren't subject to endless attacks from the Tories, looking to undermine their pay, conditions and the entire concept of state-funded, comprehensive education.

I respect the teachers for being prepared to lose a day's pay and run the gauntlet of the right-wing press in support of my children and the future of their education.

Tom Anderson: Sixth-form teacher

"For teachers in most sectors the dispute is about about workload, pay and pensions.

The unions have been asking Michael Gove to talk about how to resolve the dispute and listen to teachers but he has refused to even discuss changing his plans. The NUT feels it's time to take action and hold a one-day strike as a major protest.

But for us in sixth-form colleges the message we're trying to convey is especially urgent because the government is making huge cuts to our funding.

Sixth-form colleges work extremely well. Across the country there are more than 90 of these specialist colleges that provide full-time education for 16 to 19-year-olds.

Around 25 per cent is being slashed from sixth-form college budgets over the course of this Parliament.

This is having a huge impact on colleges around the country and we will all suffer. Communities rely on their sixth-form colleges and the impact of these cuts will damage the life chances of thousands of young people.

Sixth-form colleges are one of the country's big success stories, with young people regularly achieving superb outcomes, helping them go on to great things. They are a vital gateway to university or work for students.

We can't allow this vital resource to be damaged. We must fight to make the government think again.

Ed Finch: Primary teacher

"THE strike ballot says I'm striking about pay and conditions. That's barely the half of it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm furious that I'm being asked to pay more, and pay longer, for a pension that will be worth less when I get my hands on it.

And I'm furious about the value of my pay packet falling in real terms year after year. Yes, pay and conditions get my goat but that's not really why I'm striking.

The real reason I'm taking action is to stand up for this country's most important public service - education.

The constant sniping at the teaching profession from the Secretary of State for Education - ably assisted by his cohorts in the Murdoch press and at the head of Ofsted - have brought teachers' morale to an all-time low.

Brilliant teachers with years of experience are leaving the profession in droves as every new initiative makes it harder for them to do the job they love.

The message is clear - this government wants to drive the teachers who care out of schools till all that's left are the ones who'll deliver their sick agenda and accept the privatisation of our schools.

I say enough is enough. Like most teachers you'll meet I'm passionate about children, about education, about challenging tough circumstances and bringing hope.

For me, for us, this strike isn't about the pay in our pockets - it's about the future for our children and I'm more than happy to give up a day's pay for that.

Steph Gilroy-Lowe: Teaching assistant

"I completely support the teachers. I see how hard they are working and their pay has effectively been cut. It is simply not sustainable.

I also have huge concerns with current education policy. The government wants to cut teaching assistants which will increase the pressure on teachers and disadvantage the most vulnerable students.

At the end of the day, it is the children who suffer.

Kiri Tunks: Secondary teacher

"I'm striking because I feel I have no choice. This government has imposed huge changes without an electoral mandate or proper consultation with the profession.

It is deregulating national pay agreements and introducing performance-related pay, despite research challenging its efficacy.

It is imposing a retirement age of 68 in a job that is known for its demanding work and high stress levels.

It has overseen a massive increase in workload so that primary teachers are working nearly 60 hours a week. This is madness.

The impact on education and our young people is colossal. Michael Gove says he wants to give parents a choice but ignores them when they challenge him.

He thinks it's OK for unqualified staff to teach in our schools - yet we know parents want properly trained teachers for their children.

I am convinced that our strike action last term caused the School Teachers Review Body to reject Gove's requests to end the directed time hours of 1,265 a year, lengthen the working day and shorten the school holidays. If we hadn't stood firm then our conditions would be even worse now.

Our young people deserve to be taught by properly qualified staff who are paid fairly, treated properly and not worked into the ground.

Sue Whidbourne: Primary teacher

"I'm striking because of pay, but mainly because of conditions. For me, the conditions are debilitating. They are absolutely draining me and taking every ounce of energy from me.

I'm working on average 12-13 hours a day and six hours every weekend. My family never see me. My kids are older but, even so, they still need me. Whereas I used to be inspired to be creative, I've found in order to keep up I am not being as creative. Other staff say the same in staff meetings. It makes me sad because I teach to open doors for children but I don't feel I can do that under the current regime.

Art, drama and music are disappearing from the curriculum because of the pressure to focus on the "core" subjects.

I hate the fact that the assumption is we were not giving these enough weight.

We always prioritised English and maths but now there is no time for anything else. We have an imbalance. Maths and English has become everything. A rounded education needs much more.

I am the PE co-ordinator at my school and I see sport being squeezed out. For some children, their love of sport or drama or music is what inspires them and helps them to focus on other areas of the curriculum. Take that away and these children really suffer.

I cannot work at this pace and be the teacher I know I am. I just cannot keep going. I don't want to sell the kids short but I feel they are not getting the best of me. That is why I am striking.

Tracy Walsh: Parent

"As a parent of two children aged 9 and 11 and a lecturer in higher education, I fully support the NUT strike today - and any further subsequent strike action. My husband feels the same way.

I am extremely concerned about Michael Gove's proposals to make changes in the education system as I believe these can only have a detrimental effect not only on my children but also the system as a whole.

Using unqualified teachers is not acceptable and the government push on free/academy schools will only exacerbate this problem.

Teachers train intensively in order to deliver an excellent standard and create a caring environment for our children.

I am very concerned that two out of five newly qualified teachers leave teaching within the first five years - morale must be at an all-time low.

As parents, we must stand up for our education system and oppose the changes. This is why I am supporting today's strike and joining our local teachers in campaigning against Gove's proposals.