§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Secretary of State - for Education and Science if he will estimate the number of pupil days disrupted by the current teachers' strikes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Keith JosephComprehensive information about the extent and effects of recent industrial action is not available centrally. The proportion of pupils who have been directly affected by strikes at any one time is 429W relatively small. The selective strikes called by the two largest teacher unions have affected something of the order of 5 per cent. of the 8.3 million pupils in England and Wales. However, the cumulative effect of strikes and other forms of disruptive action is to damage the education of a very large number of pupils throughout the country. The Government deplore the fact that some teachers are willing to prosecute their pay claim in this way.