One thing I think people are missing here is how this will effect future generations of teachers. The position of being a teacher in the UK is no longer as respected as it once was, and people with university degrees (of the highest level) have much better prospects if they shy away from teaching altogether. Admittedly there are some great teachers who pursue there professions purely for the enjoyment of educating the next generation of students (and I was fortunate enough to be educated by many of these people). This is how it should be. Unfortunately, the reality is that people tend to take the jobs that will benefit them financially. As far as I am concerned this leads to huge problems to the future of our education system, and it is showcased today.
Undoubtedly, the difficulty of education in this country has rapidly decreased and I believe this is due to the fact that the position of being a teacher has become much less appealing to the top graduates. I totally agree that we should make the material harder and work our way back to a level that we were at previously (but on a much larger scale). This, in my opinion, can only be done by making the job of a teacher appealing to top graduates in there respective fields. So, if striking improves the overall appeal for being a teacher I definitely agree with it. It seems to be that people can't have it both ways. As far as I can see, people who claimed to have been disrupted by the strike cannot both complain about the inconvenience and then the quality of teaching. With regards to the pupils, all the important exam periods are currently over and as someone who has spent plenty of time furthering my education I can undoubtedly say this will have little effect on your overall education, and as argued above leads to better education in future years.
I have the upmost respect for teachers who are talented in there respective subjects and then impart this knowledge in a passionate manner to new students. I hope this strike has a positive effect and makes people realise the sacrifice some teachers have made in order to teach the next generation of children.