Thousands of schools set to close on Wednesday due to strike action trends now
Thousands of teachers will walk out of schools on Wednesday in a bitter row over pay, affecting some seven million pupils.
The strikes in England and Wales - the latest of seven days of action - have seen massive disruption across primary and secondary schools.
A series of strikes in Scotland have been halted following negotiations between Hollyrood and unions.
It is feared around 85 per cent of schools will be either fully or partially closed by this week's strike action.
Some 85 per cent of schools are expected to be affected by strike action on Wednesday
Unions have complained that the government has not been willing to negotiate over pay
Members of the National Education Union (NEU), National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), NASUWT - The Teachers' Union and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).
Education secretary Gillian Keegan has refused to meet with unions until they lift the threat of strike action.
Thousands of pupils in primary and secondary schools have seen their education disrupted as a result of the industrial action, with many being told to attend virtual classes during the protests.
The full impact of this latest strike will not be known until Wednesday morning, with local councils advising parents to monitor the individual school websites.
In earlier strikes, some schools only partially closed their services bringing in pupils in exam years or vulnerable children.
An attempt by education unions involved in the industrial action dispute over pay and funding to break the current deadlock and move forward with talks with the government has been ignored.
Talks between the unions and government have stalled due to the government’s insistence that strike action by NEU must be cancelled before they will continue negotiations.
On Monday, March 6, NEU, NAHT, NASUWT and ASCL wrote to the Secretary of State to suggest that a day of conciliation talks could be convened by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).
However, as the unions have yet to receive a formal reply to the letter, they can only conclude that the failure to reply to such a reasonable and urgent request means it has been declined.
The unions continue to appeal to the government to begin meaningful talks in order to move forward in resolving the dispute.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: 'Using ACAS to create a safe environment between parties in order to begin movement is a well-trodden path in industrial relations.
'The success rate at ACAS is impressive. It is extraordinary for any party to a dispute to refuse such an offer. I am really worried that the government are not serious about finding ways through these difficulties.
'I hope for the sake of children the government can see beyond political posturing and join us all around a table.'
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'Unfortunately, the government appears to be more interested in playing political games than bringing forward a meaningful offer to improve pay and conditions and end the industrial dispute. The fact that the government has ignored our proposal to bring in ACAS reinforces that impression.'
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary, said: 'According to the Secretary of State, the Government’s commitment to engage in proper negotiations has been agreed at the highest levels by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. So, we have to question why, after a number of weeks, progress has still not been made in convening the negotiations we have been promised. The patience of our members is running out. We have said that we are ready and willing to talk any time, any place, anywhere. Ministers now need to demonstrate that they are also ready to engage to resolve this dispute.'
Ofsted has advised schools that it will defer inspections on the days of the strike action if they are impacted by the industrial action.
Will YOUR child's school be affected by strike action? Check this list
Bedfordshire
The list of schools which are open and closed today
