Unions expect majority of Northern Ireland schools to close due to strike action on Wednesday

Parents of schoolchildren will be advised directly by their schools if they should stay at home next Wednesday during a day of strike action by teachers, the Department of Education has said.

Teaching unions expect the majority of teachers to join a walkout on April 26 in a row over pay.

Five trade unions in total are taking part in the industrial action – including the National Association of Head Teachers who are striking over pay for the first time in the union's 125-year history.

Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT union said: “We would expect almost every school to either to be closed totally, or to be closed for most of the pupils.

"It’s not just one union taking part this time, all five unions are taking part.”

Mr McCamphill said it is for each employer to decide whether to announce a closure in advance of the strike day, or assess the situation on the day.

"The department [of education] has asked principals to carry out a risk assessment before making a decision about opening for pupils, so I would expect that the majority of parents will know in advance what the situation is in their child’s school. The will know whether they should send children in or not.”

Mr McCamphill said he would categorise the pay talks that have taken place in an effort to avert a strike as more “informal” than meaningful.

"There hasn’t been serious discussion where they have had money in their pockets to negotiate with, and obviously that is part of the problem.

"With this budget the Secretary of State has implemented it is certainly harder to make progress, but at the same time we can’t just sit back and do nothing on behalf of our members."

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “Guidance has been issued to schools to help principals assess and prepare for any potential disruption as the result of industrial action planned for the 26 April 2023 by the five teaching trade unions.

“Principals have been asked to carry out risk assessments and make arrangements, which will be communicated directly with parents via their own channels. Parents with any questions or concerns are advised to contact their child’s school directly."