Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recent industrial action by teachers.

The Department has made a serious offer to the National Education Union (NEU) to discuss pay and conditions. The only precondition the Department set is that the talks occur in a constructive atmosphere without the distraction of ongoing strikes. The Royal College of Nursing was made the same offer, along with the GMB, Unison, Unite, and CSP, who represent nurses, ambulance workers and physiotherapists, all of whom have agreed to pause strike action and are currently engaged in intensive talks with Government.

It is therefore disappointing that the NEU proceeded with national strike action on 1 February, and regional strike action between 28 February and 2 March. Many parents and pupils will have faced disruption. The Department is hugely grateful to headteachers, teachers, and support staff who continued to work, ensuring over 90% of schools remained open to some or all pupils during the national strikes, with similar levels seen during the regional strikes.

Young people have suffered more disruption to their education than any generation before and it is the work of teachers that is helping them to get back on track. The Department does not want to see anything that risks undoing that progress. That is why the Department is looking to find a reasonable way to address unions’ concerns that does not exacerbate the rise in inflation and minimises any potential impact on Departmental policy.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has reiterated the offer to the NEU to pause strike action and engage in serious talks with the Government in all areas of their dispute, including pay.