Teachers across Bolton joined picket lines outside schools today as they walked out in the fourth wave of strike action.

School teachers in Bolton have gone on strike as part of a national day of action.

Members of the National Education Union stood outside Sharples School, Turton School and Canon Slade School as well as others after  four education unions rejected a Government pay offer.

Another strike is planned on Tuesday.

The Bolton News: Teachers striking outside Sharples School in BoltonTeachers striking outside Sharples School in Bolton (Image: Newsquest)

The Government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5 per cent pay rise for staff next year following talks with the education unions.

The NEU, NASUWT teaching union, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), have rejected the pay offer.

Sharples School teacher and Bolton NEU representative Robert Poole, said: “We want a fully funded education system. There were three million packages given out at foodbanks last year, the whole of society are sick of the current situation.

“I think that it’s all come to a head over the last couple of years. People are saying enough is enough and standing up for themselves.

“Teachers don’t want a pay rise without the funding, we’re fighting for the future of education.”

The Bolton News: Bolton District NEU members at a march in St Peter's Square in Manchester earlier in FebruaryBolton District NEU members at a march in St Peter's Square in Manchester earlier in February (Image: Newsquest)

He added: “People have been really positive. Every time we’ve had lots of positive support from parents and members of the community, people have even been bringing us chocolates.

“It’s clear that most of the public are on our side.”

Owain Jenkins, head of RE at Sharples School, said: “Since 2010, we’ve effectively had a pay cut every year in the age of austerity.

“This isn’t just about the pay, this is also about workload over time. Teachers are leaving the profession in droves.

“This is about the crisis of retaining staff and the crisis in hiring staff. This is about class sizes, secondary schools have the highest class sizes since records began and in primary schools, they are the highest in four years.”