Head teachers are bracing themselves for further industrial action, as an estimated 2.8 million children at 9,500 schools missed classes in the first national teachers strike for more than 20 years.

The strike by 200,000 members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), was part of a day of action in protest against the Government’s pay policy and caused widespread disruption in public services.

The teachers, who want the Government to increase its 2.45 per cent pay offer for next year to four per cent to keep pace with inflation, were joined by up to 27,000 college lecturers and 100,000 civil servants.

Christine Blower, the NUT’s acting general secretary, said the strike had caught the mood of its members, who last month gave the union’s executive a mandate to ballot on “a rolling and escalating programme of industrial action, up to and including strike action” over pay and workload issues.

Ms Blower said the NUT leadership is scheduled to meet in May to discuss what further action to take in the absence of an improved pay offer from government.

While they would “obviously” consider strike action, it was important first to consult with members on what to do about the pay rise of 2.45 per cent pay rise this year, followed by 2.3 per cent in 2009 and 2010. This has been recommended by an independent pay body and accepted in full by the Government and all the other teaching unions.

“Teachers have already received three years of below inflation pay increases and now face three more years of the same. We can’t have that because it will erode teachers salaries completely,” Ms Blower told The Times.

The strike caused huge disruption in schools in England and Wales yesterday. Some 5,026 schools were completely closed and a further 4,478 were partially closed, according to a survey of 135 of the 175 local authorities in England and Wales by the Times Educational Supplement (TES). An estimated 2.8 million children missed lessons.

A separate survey by the TES and the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations found very little parental support for the strike.

Two thirds of the parents felt that the Government’s pay offer was enough, or more than enough. Although the majority said the strike had not changed their view of the profession, a third said the strike had made them view teachers more negatively.

The NUT held a number of rallies around the country.

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said the Government believed teachers should be paid properly, but pointed out that their pay had already risen by 19 per cent since 1997. Average teacher pay is now £34,000.

The Public and Commercial Services union said a strike by up to 100,000 civil servants caused “widespread disruption” across ten government departments and agencies, hitting driving tests, coastguard stations, immigration centres, jobcentres, benefit offices and pension contact centres.

Half of the UK’s 19 coastguard control centres were forced to close and 4,000 driving tests were cancelled, said the union.

Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said: “The breadth and depth of the support for today’s strike has been fantastic as some of the lowest paid in the public sector take a stand over pay cuts and pay freezes.

The Government said it estimated that only 44,000 civil servants were on strike.

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