NEARLY half of teachers in England have seen the number of teaching posts left unfilled or temporarily filled increase over the past year, a poll suggests.

More than 70 per cent said that staff absence due to sickness had increased in their workplace over the last year, according to the survey of National Education Union (NEU) members.

Most reported the rate of staff leaving their workplace has risen in that time.

The research is being published today to coincide with the opening of the union’s annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

An emergency motion on pay is expected to be put to delegates, who could then decide to vote on calling a formal ballot for strikes.

NEU members have overwhelmingly rejected the government’s recommendation of a unfunded 2.8 per cent pay award for teachers in England for the next academic year.

In an indicative ballot, more than four in five of the union’s state school members in England said they would be willing to strike to secure an increased pay award.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “It cannot be right that we have a working culture which invades every aspect of a teacher’s life.

“We need to see a major pay correction, not only to attract more into the profession but also to keep them.

“It is short-sighted of any government to continue to ignore the root-and-branch solutions that are so obviously needed.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “We are working together with partners across the education sector to re-establish teaching as an attractive, expert profession — and are already taking action to ease workload pressures and support wellbeing, embedding flexible working and investing in key education priorities.”