TEACHERS could be set to strike across the county next week.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has called strike action on Tuesday, July 5 and the south west branch has called on all of its 2,500 Dorset members to take part.

The row centres on pay and conditions, but also school funding.

NUT members voted by more than 9-1 in favour of the one-day walk-out.

The union said its demands were to increase funding to schools and education, guarantee terms and conditions in all types of schools, and to resume negotiations on teacher contracts to allow workload to be addressed.

Dorset County Council is urging schools to stay open.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Dorset County Council is working with schools to ensure that as many pupils as possible can attend lessons during a planned teachers’ strike on 5 July. We are urging schools to stay open, where possible, during the National Union of Teachers’ industrial action.

“Schools should be informing parents directly if headteachers and governors decide to close or partially close. School transport should run as normal where schools are open, and with modified services in areas affected by a school closure.”

Andy Woolley, the South West regional secretary for the NUT, said that the strike was part of national industrial action and they would be calling on members in Dorset to get involved on July 5. 

He said they had around 2,500 members in Dorset.

He said: “We believe that the current underfunding of schools and the poor conditions of service, which are actually causing a recruitment crisis in teaching, are causing long term damage to schools and children’s education.

“We feel this is the only way, having tried over several years to discuss these issues with the Secretary of State for Education, we feel it’s the only way to make it clear how strongly we feel and that these issues need to be addressed.”

The Chesil Education Partnership declined to comment.

The Dorset Echo has contacted the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership but has not received a response to a request for comment.