School closures likely on 30 November

The decision by the UK's largest teaching unison to join a proposed public sector strike on 30 November is likely to lead to the closure of thousands of schools across the UK including those in Highgate. The NASUWT became the fourth teaching union - following the NUT, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and the National Association of Headteachers - to vote in favour of joining the strike, set to be the biggest industrial action since 1978's Winter of Discontent.

82% of NASUWT members balloted voted in favour of strike action on Friday in protest at what General Secretary Chris Keates calls a "rising tide of excessive workload and a series of attacks on their

profession." The union represents teachers working in most state schools in England; this is the first industrial action called by the union in over a decade.

In June this year, strike actions by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) closed 90% of London schools, including Highgate Wood, Parliament Hill and La Sainte Union. The addition of the NASUWT to the mass public sector walkout is likely to mean closure for Highgate schools again next Wednesday.

Earlier this month, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) voted to join the strike action, the first time it has taken such a decision in its 114-year history. Teachers are unhappy at public sector pensions reforms and changes to pay and conditions, which the NASUWT says has lead to "deep levels of demoralisation," and "the brink of a crisis affecting recruitment and retention."

Schools will decide this week whether to remain open on 30 November, but with large numbers of staff likely to be missing many expect to close. Parliament Hill school has alreay decided to move Y8 Parents' Evening from 30 November to 1 December in expectation of a school closure going ahead. We'll have more details later this week.

Image: gruntzooki