SCHOOLS in England are braced for more chaos as they could be closed for days by a huge strike.
Millions of children face having their learning disrupted yet again after the NASUWT teaching union voted to reject a Government pay offer.
The NASUWT are re-balloting their members which could lead to the biggest series of summer-term walkouts to hit the education sector since the 1980s.
The industrial action would see all state schools in England facing simultaneous closures during peak exam season.
And Dr Patrick Roach, the union’s general secretary, said the union will “be looking to co-ordinate wherever we can” with other unions to maximise disruption.
Parents face a childcare crisis, with many forced to take time off work or juggle childcare with working from home if the strike goes ahead.
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Others may have to fork out for costly last-minute childcare in what could turn out to be another nightmare.
The militant union will also consider striking alongside the National Education Union over at least three consecutive days in late June or early July.
Together, the unions represent around 400,000 teachers in England.
At the NASUWT's annual conference in Glasgow on Saturday, Dr Patrick Roach, the union's general secretary, urged Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to return to pay talks.
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He said: "The government's pay offer failed to come close to addressing the concerns over pay and working conditions of teachers and this has rightly been rejected by our members.
"Gillian Keegan has said that she is willing to negotiate and to listen to the profession. She must now demonstrate that she means what she says by getting back around the negotiating table to find a resolution to our dispute."
Dr Roach was adamant that the onus was on the government to make a "fully-funded pay offer that will be acceptable to the profession".
Asked if it could be the biggest on record, Mr Roach said: "Together with the four days already taken, yes. Nine days… That’s a lot of action."
The union, which represents 280,000 teachers across the UK, said 87 per cent of members rejected the deal and 77 per cent said they would back industrial action.
The government has said further strike action was "extremely disappointing".
Most state school teachers in England had a 5% pay rise in 2022.
They were offered a 4.3% rise next year, as well as a £1,000 one-off payment this year.
While starting salaries are also set to rise to £30,000 from September.
It comes after damaging school strikes are set to continue in England after National Education Union members voted to reject the government's latest pay offer.
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In a major blow to pupils, hundreds of thousands of teachers will walk out of work on April 27 and May 2 unless a new deal is struck.
On a turnout of 66%, NEU members voted by an overwhelming 98% to reject the latest offer.
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