Date set for school strike

Hendre School is the centre of a bitter teacher dispute

A date has been set for strike action in support of two teachers who have been suspended since the start of term from a south Wales infant school.

Staff at Hendre Infants School in Caerphilly voted unanimously to walk out unless fellow teachers Kate Andrews and Sharon Tyler are allowed back into the classroom.

This situation is wholly without parallel in Wales and the NUT has been forced to take this action as a last resort

Gethin Lewis

Strike action will now take place in two weeks on 30 October , the National Union of Teachers said on Tuesday.

The two teachers were suspended on the first day of the autumn term and a meeting with governors last week failed to resolve the situation.

"NUT members at the school have voted unanimously in favour of discontinuous strike action and will begin to strike on Tuesday October 30, "said NUT Cymru secretary Gethin Lewis.

As well as picketing the school, the union will also be writing to all other teacher unions informing them of this official strike action.

"This situation is wholly without parallel in Wales and the NUT has been forced to take this action as a last resort although the governing body still has the opportunity of averting strike action by immediately lifting the suspensions," said Mr Lewis.

NUT Cymru helped Marjorie Evans overturn suspension

Ms Andrews, who has taught at the 181-pupil school for 29 years, and colleague Ms Tyler, who has taught hearing-impaired pupils for four years, are at the centre of the controversy.

The teaching union balloted the school's seven teachers, including the suspended pair, while public services union Unison balloted four other members of staff.

The unanimous result follows an indicative vote earlier in the month, in which the teachers and staff unanimously voted in favour of striking.

Gethin Lewis has already warned that the incident could escalate to become "Marjorie Evans Two", referring to the 18-month suspension of a Monmouthshire head teacher.

Mrs Evans was accused and later cleared of allegations she struck a 10-year-old boy at St Mary's Junior School, Caldicot.

She was finally reinstated after a long battle which was backed by her union.