Colchester teachers hold strike rally in city centre

Teachers across England went out on strike yesterday leaving a number of schools closed or partially closed including Alresford Primary School, St Mary’s School in Ardleigh, Brinkley Grove Primary School in Colchester, Broomgrove Junior School in Wivenhoe, Colchester Academy and Colne School and College in Brightlingsea.

Following strikes in February, the Government offered a £1,000 one-off payment and an average 4.3 per cent pay rise for most staff from September, which the Department for Education described as a “fair and reasonable offer”.

Action - a picket line outside St Benedict's in Colchester (Image: Steve Townshend)

Starting salaries would also rise to £30,000 from September.

But members of the National Education Union rejected the offer and in Colchester, there were picket lines outside Colchester Royal Grammar School and the Gilberd School as a rally outside Castle Park.

Rally - in Colchester, there were picket lines around the city, as well as a rally in the city centre outside Castle Park (Image: Newsquest)

Charlie Jasper is an English teacher at the Colchester Royal Grammar School and on the NEU committee.

He said: “When you look at the education sector right now, we’ve got so many hard-working, dedicated staff.

“But the idea we can have 4.5 per cent coming out of school funds when it’s largely the pay rise itself, it’s just going to put more pressure on staff and deprive more students of resources.”

Pay up - a picket line outside of the Gilberd (Image: Steve Townshend)

“These strikes are an attempt to let people know it’s not working and it’s not going to work.

“We all want brighter futures for young people but need support in doing it.”

Duo - Charlie Jasper and Steve Townshend (Image: Newsquest)

Steve Townshend, strike coordinator and NEU caseworker for north east Essex, added: “This is the second of two strikes since the offer, and we now have more picket lines.

“Rather than making teachers less inclined to go on strike, it’s made them more inclined, because the offer was derisory, it was an insult, and I think all teachers see that.

“What we are after more than anything is for it to be fully funded.

“Already there are schools in my area which are making redundancies because they can’t afford to balance their budget, so whatever our pay offer ends up as we want it fully funded.”

Cabinet minister and Braintree MP James Cleverly said a “good offer” had been made to teachers over pay and workload reduction.

He added: “Many students have had a disrupted last couple of years because of Covid and I think everything we can do to help them start their lives better through education is important.”

• Charlie Jasper is running in the Colchester Council elections standing in the Castle ward against Simon Crow (Con), Mark Goacher* (Green) and Martin Gillingham (Lib Dem).