Around 140 schools in Kirklees and Calderdale closed yesterday as teachers took a stand over pay, pensions and working conditions.

The majority of regional National Union of Teachers (NUT) members took part, claiming that teaching is becoming unmanageable due to governmental polices.

Kirklees NUT leader Hazel Danson said that Education Secretary Michael Gove had taken a ‘wrecking ball’ to state education and that industrial action was not a choice taken lightly.

Mrs Danson joined other local members at a rally in Bradford, where she spoke to crowds at the Hilton Hotel.

She said: “It’s about pay and pensions but also the bigger issues surrounding education which are being threatened by the government’s policies.

“Michael Gove wants to employ unqualified teachers and his policies aren’t based on evidence.

“Turnout has been good and we feel if we don’t stand up and say this isn’t right for our children no-one else will.”

Thousands of schools in England and Wales were fully closed, with many more partially closed.

Local teachers and parents took to social media to express their thoughts on the action.

Hade Edge Infant and Junior school teacher Lucy Anne Stead said: “I am contracted to part-time hours but work about twice the number of hours I am paid for.

“There are many public sector workers who are at the mercy of the government and I would support the right for nurses, firefighters, social workers etc to strike as a stand towards creating outstanding professionals rather than people who are pushed to the brink by their job.”

Janet Robinson said: “My teaching union is not striking, however I understand all the reasons why the NUT is doing so.

“It is not just for the benefit of the individual teachers, but for their pupils as well, and ultimately for the benefit of the entire population.”

Yet Darren Roberts said: “Plenty I know have had to take holiday pay or no pay to look after kids.

“Years of teacher strikes when I was at Colne Valley High School didn’t help the situations these days.”

Click here to take you back to more Huddersfield news.

Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App here, the FREE Examiner Android App here or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking here

To follow us on Twitter click here