TEACHERS across Northern Ireland have vowed to keep up "the fight and we will win" as thousands took to picket lines in an unprecedented half-day strike.
Teaching unions warned that members are "at breaking point" as they took part in industrial action in a continuing dispute over pay and conditions.
Members of the NASUWT, INTO, UTU and NEU were involved in the stoppage - their first walkout in six years - with most schools closing until midday on Tuesday.
Protests were held outside schools with thousands of people descending at seven main rally points across the north as the unions jointly call for a pay increase of 12 per cent.
Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT said the half-day strike was a "step that is an important one and we must maintain that united front".
"The last 13 years have seen cuts of 38 per cent to teachers pay in real terms," he said.
"Teachers and other workers have had to face a deepening cost of living increase with rising bills for food, fuel, clothing, council rates, childcare and even for some fun.
"Teachers are struggling to meet ends meet, teachers have told us that they have had to cut back on essential household expenditure. Teachers have told us that worrying about finances has affected their ability to do their job.
"Teachers have told us they have had to take on second jobs. Teachers have told us that workload is impacting their physical and mental health.
"This is not a foundation for delivering high quality education to our children and young people.
"Teachers are at breaking point."
He added: "We are up for the fight and we will win".
Gerry Murphy of the INTO said members and colleagues in other teacher unions "have had enough".
"Enough of being forced to accept salaries that have not increased in real terms over the last 15 years, enough of increased workloads, enough of being forced to compensate for lack of resourcing and support for those in their care," he said.
"Teachers are reasonable and sensible people and when they are moved to take strike action then the government should listen."
NEU NI president Ian McGonigle said they were "not only striking for ourselves, but for the future of the teaching profession and our colleagues too".
"We all know teachers who are so burnt out they are going part time in droves or on long term sick absence, colleagues at the beginning of their careers whose take home pay will be irreparably damaged and reduce their earning power across their entire career.
"For children without the SEN support they need, or lost in the backlog waiting for assessment, for children whose education is at a detriment because of larger classroom sizes and less adults in the room, for the parents footing the bill because the school cannot afford basic supplies.
"We are taking this stand for them."
