MORE than 70 schools across East Lancashire’s seven borough’s will face total or partial closure today as teachers across the northwest strike over ‘relentless attacks’ on their profession.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and NAS/UWT will withdraw their labour from classrooms across the region in a dispute with Education Secretary Michael Gove over pay and conditions.
Last night 75 headteachers in Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle, Rossendale and Chorley had confirmed that their schools would be affected.
The unions estimates 2,765 schools in 22 authorities in the northwest will be hit by the walkout. Blackburn with Darwen NUT secretary Simon Jones said: “We are taking this action to defend the schools and teachers from the relentless attacks on them by Michael Gove and the coalition government. He plans to dismantle state education.”
NAS/UWT general secretary Chris Keates attacked three years of ‘relentless attacks’ on teachers adding: “No-one should be surprised that over half of teachers are considering leaving teaching altogether.”
In Blackburn with Darwen, 24 out of 88 schools will be partially or completely shut by the strike while in Hyndburn and Ribble Valley boroughs a total of 20 schools will be affected.
The figure for Burnley is 12, Chorley three, Pendle four, and Rossendale 12. Mr Jones said he was expecting the strike to affect the vast majority of schools in both authorities.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “We are very disappointed that the NUT and NAS/UWT have decided to take strike action, which will disrupt pupils’ education, hugely inconvenience parents and damage the profession’s reputation.”
Blackburn with Darwen schools boss Dave Harling said: “It is down to individual schools to carry out risk assessments and decide whether they can remain open for pupils.”
The county’s cabinet member for schools Matthew Tomlinson said it was for headteachers to make their own decisions.
SCHOOLS FACING TOTAL OR PARTIAL CLOSURE
Blackburn with Darwen
Audley Junior
Brookhouse Primary
Cedars Infants
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary
Intack Primary
Longshaw Infants
Lower Darwen Primary
Meadhowhead Junior
Roe Lee Park Primary
Sacred Heart Primary
Shadsworth Junior
St Anne;s Roman Catholic Primary
St Barnabas and St Paul Primary
St James Church of England Primary, Blackburn
St James Church of England Primary, Lower Darwen
St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary
St Luke and St Phillip's Church of England Primary
St Michael with John Church of England Primary
Sudell Primary
Blackburn Central Secondary
Darwen Vale Secondary
Our Lady and St John Secondary
St Bede’s RC Secondary
St Thomas Pupil Referral Unit
Burnley
Burnley Brunshaw Primary
Burnley Ightenhill Primary
Burnley St James' Lanehead Church of England Primary
Burnley St Stephen's Church of England Primary
Burnley Whittlefield Primary
Padiham Green Church of England Primary
Padiham Primary
Rosewood Primary
Shuttleworth College
Unity College
Worsthorne Primary
Chorley
Buckshaw Primary
Chorley Astley Park
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Withnell
Hyndburn and Ribble Valley
Accrington Green Haworth Church of England Primary
Accrington Huncoat Primary
Accrington Hyndburn Park Primary
Brennand's Endowed Primary Slaidburn
Broadfield Specialist School For Sen
Clayton-le-Moors Mount Pleasant Primary
Clitheroe Edisford Primary
Fairfield Nursery School
Grindleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary
Langho and Billington St Leonard's CofE Primary
Mount Carmel RC High
Our Lady & St Hubert's Roman Catholic Primary
Rhyddings Business and Enterprise School
Ribblesdale High School/Technology College
Rishton St Peter's and St Paul's CofE Primary
Simonstone St Peter's Church of England Primary
St Augustine's Roman Catholic High Billington
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary Langho
The Hollins Technology College
Pendle
Colne Newtown Nursery
Marsden Community Primary
Nelson St Philip's Church of England Prima ry
Pendle Vale College
Rossendale
Crawshawbooth Primary
Fearns Community Sports College
Haslingden Primary
Newchurch St Nicholas Church of England Primary
St John's Stonefold Church of England Primary
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary Stacksteads.
St Mary's Rawtenstall Church of England Primary
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary Haslingden
Staghills Children's Centre
Water Primary
Whitworth Community High
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