Teachers threaten strike ballot

Teachers work an average 53 hours a week term-time

The biggest teachers' union is threatening to ballot for industrial action in support of a campaign to reduce workload.

The National Union of Teachers, which is holding its annual conference in Bournemouth this weekend, says that it is now time for the government to deliver on its promises to improve teachers' working conditions.

And union leaders are warning the government that any funding settlements for education must include provisions for improvements to teachers' pay and conditions in England.

In a joint campaign with other teachers' unions, the NUT conference will hear calls for a ballot on industrial action in pursuit of an average 35-hour week, similar to that agreed for teachers in Scotland.

Paperwork targeted

If the dispute escalates to industrial action, this could see disruptions in schools in the autumn term.

But a spokesperson said that it would be implemented in a way that would "disrupt paperwork rather than children's education".

And the union's general secretary, Doug McAvoy, said such targeted action would have the sympathy of many parents.

McAvoy denies NUT is 'strike-happy'

"The image that the government sometimes tries to create of the NUT being strike-happy is totally false."

The union is angered at what it sees as the government's unfulfilled promises to tackle a workload which at present means a term-time average of a 53-hour week.

And it argues that the stress and low morale caused by a culture of long hours is major factor in the difficulties in recruiting and retaining teachers.

Ministers challenged

The findings of an independent review into teachers' workload, set up in the wake of an earlier campaign over teacher shortages, are expected to be published next month.

Doug McAvoy said that teachers had been told to expect improvements in their working conditions, and that it was time for the government to live up to its promises.

Without an improvement, the teacher shortage would not be resolved and the drive to raise academic standards would become unachievable, he said.

The Education Secretary Estelle Morris will address the conference on Saturday, an engagement that in previous years has seen ministers receiving a rough reception from delegates.