I want to say as a g.p. that I support the teaching profession totally--they are a profession deserving of the highest respect for their essential important work;I know a Teacher--it is hard emotionally and academically demanding work with long hours;I deplore this ''government'' sick abuse of it.

Martin , liverpool, uk

I agree that teachers work harder than some people say they do, but they really should do the maths before moaning about their long hours:

Teachers - 30 weeks x 60 hours = 1800 hours a year
Normal workers - 48 x 40 = 1920 hours a year.

So come on teachers, stop moaning, and get on with the job!

John, Birmingham, UK

Anyone think of the nut members that wanteed to strike, but were bullied out of it? A profession that wants the best for the children ,attacked at every turn? No? That is exactly the problem.

jill, northants, northants

Why, when the NUT go out on strike is this "hurting children's education", but when the government gave all schools an additional training day this year (so every pupil in the country had the day off), why didn't anyone complain that that was hurting their education? Answer: its fun to bash the NUT

KW, Hastings, E.Sx

If the NUT does not stand up to the Government who will. How can Mr Balls and the "independent" STRB look all teachers in the eye and say "Here's 2.45% - it's a pay rise - whilst keeping their faces straight - and don't get me going on the "trigger mechanism" that Mr Balls and his ilk opt to ignore

Chris Abbott, Wigan, England

I agree with D. Biere above in that new teachers with university loan debts are struggling. Their repayment interest is based on a higher inlation rate than the proposed pay rise. Some incentive for them, isn't it. Many will leave the profession for richer rewards and society will suffer.

bill, bristol,

Long holidays, get back from work early, loads of money... dream on. James from Norwich has it right but forgot to mention the extra workload from teaching unqualified classroom assistants how to teach. Teachers work 60 hours a week if they are at all conscientious.

Nick, St. Albans, UK

James, spelling mistakes! Bad use of punctuation! How will your pupils learn to spell and punctuate if you can't?

Anna, Cernay, France

I left Lewisham ten years ago for Barcelona and this strike reminds me of the constant struggle in teaching to make ends meet. The job I had was great, but long hours and little financial reward in economically hostile London were salutary lessons. Good luck to the NUT, but bad timing

Vernon Lacey, Munich, Germany

I have no partisan views on this dispute, but when I heard Mr Jim Knight, the Minister for Schools, use 'coincide' as a transitive verb on the Today programme earlier this morning, I did wonder if we have the right people in charge of the educational system.

George, Montrose, UK

Strikes work. (Well, there's an oxymoron for you.) Just ask the NUM.

Dave, Slough,

>James, Norwich, England
Why don't you just get another job if it's so bad?

There's nothing worse than people who say they'll do it then don't.

You could let someone who enjoys the job do it, and go off to the magical private sector where everyone is apparently well paid and happy.

JonB, Manchester, UK

You mention that many disaffected NUT members have defected to other unions in the last few weeks. Apparently the NUT has also been inudated by appllications for membership from teachers who admire the union's stance and wish to join, as their original union is unable to take such actiion.

Paul Miles, Bournemouth, Dorset

I was angered beyond belief at Mr Knights comments that average teachers wages are £34k a year, rubbish! you have to be senior management! the point is that why after a 70+ hour week in a mentally demanding job are we struggling to make ends meet?I love teaching, it is my passion but so is living..

Rebecca, Reading,

Although this is a great idea, a strike! Like mentioned no support from others with lessons being covered an inconvenience to myself a GCSE student and therefore no real outcome. There must be complete disruption to have any effects on people.

Aidan, Hunstanton,

If everyone got wage increases the same as inflation, you'd have a wage spiral. I guess it's a shame that teachers and not footballers or something feel the burn; but that's not the point. Not everyone can have an inflation sized raise.

will, cambridge, UK

Unrelenting workload taking up most evenings and weekends, rediculous expectations and beaucracy by government, imposed managerial responsibilities for subjects. That is teaching today. Yet management points stripped out and 5 years of paycuts. Struggling to make ends meet. A fed up primary teacher!

James, Norwich, England

A criticism of tomorrow's strike is that teachers are letting pupils down. Believe it or not, teachers did not choose this job for the financial incentive! Their first priority is always the pupils. However, with many NQTs having 16 grand of debt after training, it is about time we take a stand.

D. Biere, London, UK

This abhorent excuse for a government is paying some non-working layabouts £30,000 a year to do VERY little (parenting was something MY mum used to handle well in a full time job) Yet the police/HMPS, NHS and teachers who're practically holdin society together have to have wage cuts to pay for it!

Herowyn Beck, Wolverhampton,

I would accept a cut in pay for teachers if it were not coming at a time when they were being expected to deliver new diplomas. It seems unfair to wave financial incentives to deliver this educational transformation, which involves many extra hours work for teachers, funded through their pay cuts!

richard vine, Dorchester, UK

The teachers's excellent case is weakened by the fact there is NOT one union representing them. It is long past time for them to merge into a single powerful union.

Robert Christie, Burntisland, Scotland

Public sector pay rises were paid out of borowings and taxes but now the government has run out of money and will not be able to raise the tax take even if it raises taxe rates. Thus, the teachers are the first of many public sector workers who will have to take lower pay rises or redundancy.

R Mason, London, UK