Teachers from Kettering and Corby rally in town centres on sixth strike day

Members of the National Education Union from across the county have once again gone on strike – the sixth day of industrial action for some in the latest dispute.

Rallies were held in Corby and Kettering town centres with staff handing out flyers and stickers to members of the public.

It will be the last day of action in the current run of walk-outs as teachers return to the ballot box.

Joint branch secretary of North Northants NEU Simon Rielly said that members were still resolute, despite the length of the current industrial action.

He said: "We're coming into exam period now and students have been messed around enough by this government for 13 years.

"Teachers care about the pupils and so of course they're concerned but if the NEU had accepted the Government's latest unfunded pay offer it would have had to mean more cuts in schools.

"We'd have been looking at cuts to admin staff and senior leadership teams. That's not acceptable."

In Kettering, NEU member Phill Monk, a teacher at Southfield School, called for the Government to enter into talks with teachers.

He said: “We are still waiting for the Government to come back to us. They have talked to the nurses now they need to talk to us.

"The majority of parents are in support. People walking past today have been making donations so we can get coffees and doughnuts.”

Rosie Hainsworth, a history teacher at Bishop Stopford in Kettering, qualified 10 years ago. Half of her peers have dropped out of teaching due to conditions and pay.

She said: “So many students are being taught by non-specialists. It’s a problem. The specialist teachers aren’t out there and there’s not enough incentive for them. Teaching needs to be an attractive profession. I feel passionately about teaching but I don’t love the education system in this country. How many education secretaries have we had in the past years? None of them are specialists.”

NEU members will be balloted on May 15 and may join forces with other unions.

Mr Monk added: “We might be out again in July.”