SCHOOLS Minister Nick Gibb draws comfort from his statement that “seven out of eight schools are refusing to close” as though this justifies his cack-handed dealings with teachers in England.

Even if his statistic were a little more soundly based than most emanating from David Cameron’s government, refusing to close does not indicate normal working.

In any case, teachers do not strike in order to shut down schools, harm children’s education or cause disruption to their parents’ working lives.