Gove riles heads with strike plea

The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, upset headteachers last night by telling them they had a "moral duty" to keep their schools open during next Thursday's teachers' strike over threats to their pensions.

He suggested increasing class sizes and getting managers and support staff to stand in as teachers for the day.

In a letter to heads and local authorities, Mr Gove said: "The public and parents will expect all of us to put the interests of pupils first.... We all have a strong moral duty to pupils and parents to keep schools open."

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "Heads don't need any lecture on their moral duty."