CLASS WAR; 190,000 teachers in nationwide pay strike 2.9million children and 9,500 schools hit.

Byline: BY JAKE MORRIS

STRIKING teachers last night refused to rule out further action after bringing chaos to classrooms.

More than 190,000 staff walked out over pay, shutting around 5,000 schools and cancelling classes in 4,500 more. Up to 2.9 million children were affected.

Asked if she could promise there would be no new strikes, acting NUT chief Christine Blower said: "It's not in my gift to give that guarantee."

Her warning came as up to 200,000 other public sector workers also went on strike in a nationwide explosion of anger at the Government's pay policy.

In the first such national stoppage for 21 years, teachers staged scores of rallies and manned picket lines protesting at below inflation wage rises which they said were hitting recruitment.

About one in three schools were closed or partially shut. The parents of one million youngsters were forced to make alternative care arrangements. Some children backed teachers. At Balfour junior school, Brighton, Lewis Bedford, five, held a placard saying: "More pay for Mrs Biggs."

Gordon Brown described the protests over a three-year pay deal of 2.45 per cent as "regrettable and unjustifiable".

Speaking in the West Midlands, he said: "I hope people will see that there is no need for future action."

Schools secretary Ed Balls denied NUT claims that poor salaries were leading to a shortage of staff. He said in Dartford, Kent, he said: "There's no justification for a strike. I share the anger of parents."

But Sally Hunt, head of the University and College Union whose members joined the strike, said teachers were expected to "put up and shut up".

She added: "We can't let the Government wreck our education system."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told 7,000 teachers at a London rally: "We need a fundamental change of direction. If the Government continues to use the public sector as a political football, it'll pay a devastating price at a general election."

One striker, teacher Janet Arthur, said: "We teach the future leaders, the nurses, the teachers - you can't do without us."

English teacher Phillippa Arnell, of Park community school in Havant, Hants, admitted: "I did feel guilty when I explained to my pupils about going on strike, but we just want to be treated fairly.

"Decent teachers are going to leave the profession if we do not start getting enough money to provide a reasonable standard of living."

Meanwhile strikes by civil servants hit driving tests, coastguard stations, immigration centres, jobcentres, benefit offices and pension offices.

pounds 20,133

Starting salary for newly qualified teacher across England and Wales.

55HRS

Average working week for teacher, spent in classroom and marking at home.

CAPTION(S):

Pay protest teachers on the march in central London yesterday; HELPING HAND Lewis, five, spells out support at Brighton; PLEA Ed Balls at school yesterday; ROASTING Teacher's protest T-shirt; STREET FURY Birmingham teachers join nationwide walkout over pay