TEACHERS took to school picket lines and staged rallies across England in a third day of strike action yesterday — including in Durham, ahead of the Miners’ Gala today.

National Education Union (NEU) joint general secretaries Kevin Courtney and Mary Bousted attended the Durham teachers’ rally and demanded that the government publish the recommendations of the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) on what pay increase they should receive.

They warned that the government faces “an unprecedented show of determination and unity across the profession” if it continues to refuse to negotiate a settlement.

Teachers are walking out in a long-running dispute over pay, having rejected the government’s offer of a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022-23) and an average 4.5 per cent rise for staff next year.

They want a pay increase equal to inflation, funded by the government and not taken from struggling school budgets.

The joint general secretaries said in a statement: “We believe that the STRB has recommended a 6.5 per cent across-the-board pay rise — if properly funded, implementing such a rise could bring this dispute to a close.

“However, with no word from the government about the reopening of negotiations and with rumours that the government is intending not to implement the STRB report, the NEU continues with our reballot of members for industrial action in September.”

“We will not be alone,” they said, as NEU members reballot for more strike action. “Education unions ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT are also balloting members for strike action.

“It is an indication of the desperation and anger felt by all who teach in our schools and colleges towards a government who cares little for children and young people’s education and those who teach them.”

The Department for Education (DfE) said the action would cause disruption to pupils and parents and result in the cancellation of children’s end-of-term events.

A department spokesman insisted a “fair and reasonable” pay offer had been made to the unions.

On pay, the spokesman said: “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.”