A TOTAL OF 59 schools have confirmed they will face disruption tomorrow, when up to 3,700 teachers strike over changes to their pensions.

While many primary and secondary schools confirmed they would shut or partly close to enable exams to go ahead, others were unsure if they would open or not leaving parents confused.

Mum-of-three Pauline Ximines, whose chldren attend state schools in the city, said: “We have had a letter home from one school saying they will close, but the other says they won’t know until Thursday, which we are a bit annoyed about.

“It means the kids will get up, get ready for school and go, and then might have to come back again.”

Jane Harrison, from St Clement’s, in Oxford, said she did not know if her son Ewan’s school, Magdalen College School, would be closed. She said: “I am trying to understand exactly what the implications are, and I am not sure I do. But I think that goes for a lot of people.”

The walk-out comes after negotiations between the Government and unions broke down on Monday.

Across Oxfordshire, up to 2,200 members of the National Union of Teachers and 1,500 from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers could walk out.

The University and College Union, and Public and Commercial Services Union, which includes air traffic controllers, coastguards and prison workers, will also strike.

NUT representative Gawain Little said: “Across Oxfordshire, we have encouraged our school representatives to collect the names of teachers who will strike as early as possible to enable headteachers to make alternative arrangements and minimise disruption.

“But Michael Gove has been pressuring teachers to use any other possible means and this has delayed the decisions of headteachers until the last moment, leaving parents high and dry.”

He added: “We do not want to strike. We went into teaching to teach young people and that is what we want to be doing on Thursday.

“But the Government has made the situation impossible. If we do not stand up now, the alternative will be far more damaging in the future.”

The strike was last night criticised by Keith Mitchell, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, who said: “The last thing our fractured national finances need is disruption to employees and loss of economic activity.

“I urge school heads to consider how to keep our schools open.”

And Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for schools improvement, said: “While there are ongoing talks, I think it’s absolutely awful to strike.

“I am not going to bash teachers, but I just wish they would have negotiated.”

David Lewin, headteacher of Wood Farm, said: “From the school’s point of view, the overriding consideration in closing classes has to be the health and safety of all children and in the end, that is the decision we had to make.”

Patricia Evans, foundation stage teacher at Rose Hill Primary School in Oxford, said: “I fully support the strike action.

“We need quality graduates to come into the profession but, if the Government makes these changes, graduates are not going to go into teaching.”