The schools in Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd affected by today's strike action

SEVERAL schools are partially closed today as members of the National Education Union take strike action.

Eight schools in Ceredigion are partially closed with three schools affected in Gwynedd and 36 schools across Powys fully or partially closed.

Teachers and teaching staff have walked out today after rejecting the Welsh Government’s latest pay offer, with more strikes planned on 15 and 16 March.

In Gwynedd, Ysgol Borth y Gest near Porthmadog and Ysgol Tanygrisiau will be closed all day as a result of the industrial action, with Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn only open to year 11 and staff.

Ysgol Glan y Mor in Pwllheli is partially closed, only being open to Year 10 and Year 11.

In Machynlleth, both the primary and secondary campuses of Ysgol Bro Hyddgen are only partially open today.

In Ceredigion, Ysgol Ceinewydd, Ysgol Comins Coch, Ysgol Llwyn yr Eos, Ysgol Gynradd Aberteifi, Ysgol Padarn Sant, Ysgol Uwchradd Aberaeron, Ysgol Penglais and Ysgol Bro Pedr are all partially closed.

Headteacher at Aberystwyth’s Ysgol Penglais, Hayley Leighton, in a letter to parents, said: “Due to the number of members of staff taking industrial action, we are not able to open the school to all students on Thursday, 2 March.

“The school will be therefore closed to all students in Year 7, 8, 9 and 10. Teachers who are not taking industrial action will place work on Teams for students to complete.

“Students in Years 11, 12 and 13 are expected to come into school to work and to attend lessons of the teachers who are not taking industrial action.”

NEU joint general-secretary Kevin Courtney said the union had postponed strikes on Valentine’s Day “in good faith” while its members weighed up the government’s improved offer.

But teachers had since “emphatically informed us that the offer of an additional 1.5 per cent added to teachers’ pay, plus an additional 1.5 per cent lump-sum, is simply not good enough and fails to address either the cost-of-living crisis, spiralling inflation, nor the damage done to pay since 2010”, he said.

“We have a clear mandate for strike action that is now rescheduled for 2 March in schools across Wales,” Mr Courtney added.

The Welsh Government has defended the offer as “a strong one” in the context of a “reducing” budget for the devolved administration.