MASSIVE disruption is looming for Huddersfield schools this week.
At least 28 will be completely shut on Thursday as 1,200 teachers stage a one-day strike.
And children at many other schools across Kirklees will get a day off as head teachers are forced to halt classes because of the industrial action.
Hundreds of college students will also be affected when lecturers at Huddersfield Technical College take a day of action over a pay claim.
The teachers, all members of the National Union of Teachers, claim they have been forced to take action after rejecting a pay offer. They claim they have had below-inflation increases for the past three years.
THOUSANDS of children across Kirklees will be forced to stay at home on Thursday as teachers join a national strike over pay.
Many secondary, primary and special schools throughout the authority will be closing their doors to pupils as part of the national dispute.
At least 28 schools will be totally closed and many more will be affected by partial closures.
Schools where a large number of teachers will be taking action will close for the day, others have advised parents of children in some of their classes not to send them in on Thursday.
Students at Huddersfield Technical College will also be hit as lecturers stage a day of action.
Howard Roberts, general secretary of the Kirklees branch of the NUT, said 1,200 teachers would be striking.
He said: “Clearly it is a very sad day for the union. Locally the NUT has enjoyed good negotiations with the local authority, but when the Schools Minister Jim Knight says the union should talk not walk, he is forgetting that the government just doesn’t negotiate with the NUT over anything.
“For three years teachers have had a below rate of inflation pay rise. It isn’t just teachers, its the public sector as a whole.”
Thursday will also see a strike by the University and College Union.
Lecturers in more than 250 colleges were balloted with almost two thirds (65.5%) of those voting supporting strike action.
Huddersfield University, Greenhead College and Huddersfield New College will be unaffected by the strike and will remain open to students.
The strike is the first by teachers for 21 years and comes just weeks before many children are due to sit year two, year six and year nine Sats as well as GCSE exams.
Among the worst affected areas will be Suffolk and Cheshire.
Schools minister Jim Knight said he was “disappointed” by the action and that the Government had accepted independent recommendations for a three-year pay award with a 2.45% rise in September and 2.3% in the two following years.
Mr Knight said: “I am disappointed by the decision to strike, as I think parents will be and as will the majority of teachers who did not vote to strike.
“Last week we wrote a joint letter with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services to local authorities emphasising the need to ensure pupil safety and the provision of timely information to parents.
“Many authorities already have helpful advice on their websites and we have also seen good examples of liaison with other services likely to be affected.
“We believe that all teachers should be teaching and talking and not walking out next week.”
The National Union of Teachers says three years of below-inflation pay increases would be “damaging” for the profession and make recruiting new teachers more difficult.
Lecturers at Huddersfield Technical College will also be on strike on Thursday in support of a pay claim to take account of recent inflation and bridge their pay gap with schoolteachers.
Lecturers will be manning picket lines and taking part in rallies throughout Yorkshire.
Huddersfield Technical College University and College Union branch representative Thea Ferguson said: “Lecturers at the college are no longer content to accept pay increases that amount to pay cuts whilst continuing to cope with increasing demands on workload and potential job insecurities.”
Who will be closing?
THIS list of schools fully closed or partially closed because of the strike has been provided by Kirklees Council.
Those included took the decision to take part in the day of action by Friday of last week.
Other schools not in this list may also be affected and parents should check with the school their child is attending:
Almondbury High School & Sports College, full;
Almondbury Junior School, full;
Batley Business & Enterprise College, partial - Open to Yr 9 only;
Batley Parish J, I and N School, full;
Battyeford Primary School, full;
Birkby I&N School, full;
Birkenshaw CE (C) First & Nursery School, full;
Bradley C.E. (VC) Infant and Nursery School, full;
Bradley Junior School, full;
Brownhill Infant School, Batley, partial; Chickenley JI&N School, partial - 3 classes closed
Clough Head School, full;
Colne Valley High School, partial - open to students taking exams
Cowersley Primary School, full;
Crosland Moor Junior School, partial - 5 classes not in;
Crossley Fields J&I School, Mirfield, full;
Crow Lane School, Milnsbridge, partial - Closed to pupils in FS, T1, Y2 and Yr3
Dalton JI&N School, full;
Denby Dale Nursery School, full;
Dryclough Infant School, Crosland Moor, partial - 5 classes in and 6 classes out;
Fairfield School, Cleckheaton, full;
Gilthwaites First School, Denby Dale, full;
Golcar Junior Infant and Nursery, full;
Gomersal Middle School, full;
Hanging Heaton J&I School, Batley, partial - open to 2 classes;
Holmfirth High, full;
Honley High School, full;
King James School, Almondbury,full;
Kirkheaton Primary School, full;
Kirkburton First School, partial - 3 Classes closed and 2 open
Knowles Hill I&N School, Dewsbury Moor, full;
Longley School, full;
Lowerhouses JI & EY School, full;
Lydgate J&I school, Batley, full;
Lydgate School, New Mill, partial - open to 23 pupils;
Marsden I&N School, full;
Marsden Junior School, partial - Yr 6 & Yr3 in;
Moorend Technology College, partial - Yr 7 & 8 closed;
Moorlands Primary School, Mount, partial - 7 classes operating;
Mount Pleasant School, Lockwood, partial - KS1 & 2 closed; nursery open
Netherthong Primary School, partial - one teacher planning to strike and so we will be closing that class - year 4;
Norristhorpe J&I School, Liversedge, full ;
Old Bank JI&N School, Mirfield, partial - reception & Yr 2 closed
Overthorpe JI&N School, Thornhill, full;
Paddock JI&N School, partial - Reception: Year 3, 4 also 10 pupils in Year 5 will be open
Pentland I&N School, Dewsbury, partial;
Purwell I&N School, Batley, full;
Ravenshall School, Dewsbury, full;
Ravensthorpe I & N School, full;
Rawthorpe High School, partial - open to Yr 11 only;
Rawthorpe ST James I&N School, full;
Reinwood Infant and Nursery School, Oakes, full;
Reinwood Junior School, partial - open for 5 classes. The school will be closed to the other 7 classes that are affected by the industrial action.
Royds Hall High School, Paddock, full;
Salendine Nook High School; full;
Shelley First School, full;
Slaithwaite J&I School, partial - open to 2 classes;
Spen Valley Sports College, full;
Spring Grove JI&N School, Springwood, full;
St John Fisher High School, Dewsbury, partial - Open to 6th form only;
St Johns Infants, Dewsbury, full;
Staincliffe Junior School, full;
Stile Common I&N School, full;
Stile Common Junior School, full;
Thornhill Lees I&N School, full;
Westmoor Junior School, Dewsbury Moor, full;
Whitcliffe Mount, partial - 6th form open as usual.
