This year introduces the new teacher strikes which are becoming increasingly frequent. How are these strikes affecting the UK's students as well as the rest of the country?

The main cause for these educational strikes is the dispute in pay for teachers and the lack of recognition that comes with it. Due to the cost of living crisis, inflation in the UK is damaging worker's incomes. The real wages are decreasing significantly and as a result teachers are taking action. Due to inflation, teachers' pay has fallen by 24%. In the current state of the economy, this may cause serious consequences for teachers. Teachers are also demanding more pay, they say that a 12% pay rise is what they want, however the government has only given a 5% raise. The problem with this is that the 5% pay rise is still 7% behind inflation.

The teacher strikes have also caused short term, immediate consequences for students and schools in the UK. The increase in the number of teacher strikes as well as the potential for more in the future may cause disruption for students. Schools that are not able to set work during teacher strikes may cause students to fall behind as well as disruptions in their learning. Consequently, this creates a fractured learning for many students in the UK if the number of teacher strikes continues to increase. This is problematic for younger students especially as their education currently is a foundation for their futures. Moreover, some parents are having to take days of work for child care due to teacher strikes. If this were to happen on an increasingly large scale, there would be severe damage to the sustainability of the UK economy.

Overall, the government should implement an improved solution for the problems that teachers are facing, which should increase their pay as well as provide the recognition they deserve. Although this may increase spending for the government, the long term effects are positive in that being the benefit of the future generation in their education.