Parents pull children out of school in strike action

Parents across the West are keeping their children home from school today (3 May) as part of unofficial strike action.>It's in protest over Government plans to change the education system including turning all schools into academies, and taking them out of local authority control.

Emma Larkin has been leading the local campaign in Gloucester, and will be one of many parents keeping her children at home.

She says over testing for 6 and 7 year old's is also a major problem.

Emma Larkman says her children won't be sitting next month's revamped SATS test papers, which critics say are more about measuring school performance than children's abilities.

As well as testing, the strike action also opposes plans to convert every school in the country into an academy and out of local authority control.

Now unions are threatening strike action by teachers, too.

The walk-out promoted on social media, will see potentially thousands of children miss school with the threat of further strikes if the Government refuse to U-turn.

• To view where strikes are being held in your area click here.

Parents risk fines if they pull pupils out of school but many believe it'll be a price worth paying for their children's future.