Yesterday it emerged that Reffley Community Junior School, Runcton Holme Primary School, Southery Primary School and James Bradfield Community Primary School, in Stoke Ferry, have joined the list of closures.

Further disruptions will be experienced at Swaffham's Hamond's High School, which will close to pupils in Years Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten, while Smithdon High School, in Hunstanton, will be closed for pupils in Years Seven, Eight and Ten.

The doors will be closed to youngsters in Years Seven and Nine at Downham High School, along with classes two and three at Hockwold Primary School, reception and Year One at Burnham Market Primary School and reception and Years Three and Five at Upwell Primary School.

Last week the Lynn News reported that a newly-qualified teacher earns £20,133 and asked whether our readers can survive on such a wage.

But Kendra Deacon, West Norfolk National Union of Teachers' (NUT) local association secretary, believes the pay issue needs to be closely examined so people realise the sacrifices teachers make in earning their money.

She told the Lynn News: "Teachers have to work a certain number of hours in school and then on top of that much work goes on at home to plan, prepare and assess.

"It has been worked out that a teacher will, on average, work a 50-plus hour week during term time.

"I would say a further 20 hours would be worked in each half-term, plus Easter and Christmas, and a further 100 hours in the summer holiday.

"If we take the £20,000 and divide it by the number of hours this then works out to be around £9 an hour before tax, so around £7 after tax.

This for a profession which requires graduate training."

Miss Deacon, who has taught at schools in Walpole Cross Keys and Walpole Highway, said that after a raft of bills have been paid a newly- qualified teacher is left with less than £300 a month.

She added: "Good teachers need fair pay to be able to stay in the profession. I am not sure how many others who earn £20,000 work 50-plus hours a week."

The call for strike action has been echoed by Keverne Smith, chairman of the University and College Union (UCU) at Lynn's College of West Anglia, who said: "The false image still persists that school teachers and college lecturers have long holidays with nothing to do.

"But surveys have shown that teachers and lecturers do more unpaid overtime, and more evening work on top of a full day, than almost any other employees.

"We have not been on strike at the college for three years, and we and teaching colleagues only strike as a last resort.

"But Government underfunding and mismanagement of education has reached such a high level that, for the first time ever, UCU and the NUT have joined together to highlight the situation to the general public."

Despite Thursday's strike the college expects to operate a full timetable and students are advised to attend on the day, unless told otherwise.