The greedy chattering classes - reminds me of the cops. They still expect to eat out, shop, have their streets cleaned, their sweatshop clothes etc etc. My heart really bleeds for this:- this has fuck all to do with workers power. Now if they were striking over the shite they had to teach, the strucutre and commercialisation of education, or the classist nature of education then, I would be in symopathy. But they ain't and I'm not. But then I don't get paid half us much as those hippocritical bastards. Rememebr how many teachers were/are Labour party and SWP activists. And they want respect from our kids.

This kind of prolier than thou shit doesn't get us anywhere! So your wages are half that of the teachers? Well that sucks for you! But by your own, self-defeating logic, only the poorest workers should therefore ever bother to take industrial action.

As for the other things you mention, like the structure of the education system, of course you are right. But people only become aware of these things, and feel able to fight them, when solidarity is extended from workplace to workplace, regardless of what type of work we are in. That is 'class consciousness', something you seem to be lacking.

...anyone who believes the 34k average teacher's salary statistic must be swallowing everything the government's chucking at them

Plus anyone who thinks that every teacher is a member of the 'chattering classes' has got their wires crossed. If you were there you'd realise this strike and the potential ongoing actions have got everything to do with what's taught, how it's taught, and why it's taught. The privatisation of education, the mass of targets and the increase in testing at all stages are all parts of the NUTs action. However, worker's solidarity can be built on pay, and the disparity between pay and inflation is a common thread across all working people and by having the PCS, Unison, and other union reps involved, a coalition of workers is building, based on their (even lower than teachers') pay increases. The NUT are trying to build a coalition, and you can't do that by only focusing on educational issues, as you'd cut off any links with other unions.

Workers solidarity is both for the workers and by the workers, and less sniping form the sidelines and more involvement would be helpful.

Great march, was inspiring to see, brilliant banners
glad I got chance to pop by & blow my horn, oo err,
thanks for the cheer!!! keep it up,
More parents should have been with you,
heres to the next one & a tactical general strike that the TUC doesn't seem capable of at the moment, it only makes those in the ruling classes who deserve it& make the rest,
www.iww.org.uk