Patrick Roach

Teaching unions will have to ensure schools in England stay open on strike days, under plans announced by the government.

The Department For Education (DfE) launched a consultation on Tuesday on how best to implement minimum service level (MSL) requirements in schools.

The proposals are due to come into force by next September.

But education unions, who were involved in talks with government over MSLs, called The Announcement " shameful".

Schools in England experienced some of the worst disruption due to strikes in A Generation this year, when millions of school days were cumulatively lost across 10 strike days.

The walkouts by teachers closed schools across the country, with.

Many of The School strike days coincided with industrial action by other workers, including doctors, railway staff and civil servants.

Strike action by teachers ended when.

In October, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said MSLs would be introduced with the unions but the government could use legal powers brought in earlier this year under The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, which applies to a wide range of workers.

The DfE says the plans will protect children, Young People and Parents to ensure education can continue during any future strike action.

Now, it is, which include priority attendance for vulnerable pupils and the use of rotas for strikes lasting Five Days or more, in a nine-week consultation.

" We know a lot of schools already do provide support for vulnerable children or those with special education needs or other cohorts, " Ms Keegan said.

" But what we want is to see that uniform across the country and provide that certainty for Parents - so if there is future strike action, they know that their child can go to school on That Day . "

But all four of the education unions involved in talks with government have reacted angrily to The Announcement .

National Association of Head Teachers General Secretary Paul Whiteman said it showed the government had entered MSL talks with unions in " incredibly Bad Faith ".

National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede called The Move " shameful".

" The attempt at dialogue was never meaningful. It was disingenuous and cynical, " He Said .

" The End of talks was briefed out to The Press by No 10 before The Talks ended, " Mr Kebede added, referencing A Story about the decision to start the consultation.

Association of School and College Leaders General Secretary Geoff Barton called MSLs a " profoundly illiberal policy".

" Nobody wants to Go On strike. It is action that is taken as a Last Resort when all else has failed, " He Said .

NASUWT General Secretary Patrick Roach said ministers had provided " no compelling justification" for MSLs in schools.

" Rather than continue discussions on scope for reaching a voluntary agreement with unions, the government has pulled the rug, " He Said .

Source of news: bbc.com