Annual rally to celebrate the longest strike in history: Schoolchildren ‘went on strike’ in 1914 to support their teachers, sacked by the rural squirearchy for organising agricultural workers.
September 4th September 2022 – coach from Coventry
@ Church Green, Burston, near Diss, Norfolk IP22 5TP
Coach organised by British Pensioners & Trade Union Action Association, Coventry & Warwickshire with Unite the Union and Coventry Trades Union Council.
Book your seat now for Burston 2022 now.
leaves Coventry at 8am and be back in Coventry for 8pm
contact Mike Lehane Tel: 07905 675623 seats £10 including Sunday roast on way back
The small school was set up by sacked teachers Annie and Tom Higdon and is where they taught the village children who, for 25 years, went on strike to support them.
Every year since 1984 there has been a rally on Burston Green in Norfolk to commemorate the Burston School Strike. On the 1st of April 1914, schoolteachers, Tom and Kitty Higdon were unfairly sacked and the schoolchildren 66 out 72 went on strike. Marching, singing and flags waving they demonstrated a magnificent show of rural working class solidarity in defence of their popular teachers. They refused to attend the state school and started their own independent Strike School. The strike continued until 1939.
The introduction of American styled free schools and academies will bring about a big attack on teachers wages and conditions as seen in all the industries and services that have already been privatised.
Under the coalition government all the advances made in education are about to be swept away by the demise of state schools and the privatisation of education through the introduction of so called ‘free schools’ academy colleges and the increase in university fees.
Burston is an inspiration for all those who want to defend the gains of the past and learn from history how to fight back. Because of the impeccable struggle of the Higdon’s, the school children and the villagers of Burston, Burston was a victory.
More details of the strike school here…
and HERE…..http://burstonstrikeschool.co.uk/rally/
2017 event: 
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2016 event
Confirmed speakers/musicians:
- Mick Whelan General Secretary ASLEF
- Liz Snape TUC President
- Steve White and the Protest Family
- John McDonnell MP Shadow Chancellor
- Attila the Stockbroker
- Red Flags
- NASUWT Brass Band
- Banner Theatre 1st May Band
Chairs:
- morning: Megan Dobney SERTUC Regional Secretary
- afternoon: Clive Lewis MP
2015 event:
Sunday 6 September 2015
speakers/musicians:
- Jeremy Corbyn MP for Islington North
- Christine Blower General Secretary NUT
- Megan Dobney SERTUC Regional Secretary
- Clive Lewis MP for Norwich South
- The Hurriers https://www.facebook.com/TheHurriers
- Mike Jackson co-founder of Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners
- Matt Wrack General Secretary FBU
- Red Flags
- Elvis McGonagall performance poet http://www.elvismcgonagall.co.uk/
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