ALMOST three-quarters of Southampton’s schools will be completely or partly closed by strikes on Thursday.

Parents are facing having to take a day off or organise childcare as teachers walk out as part of a national row over pensions.

Across Southampton, 77 per cent of the city’s infant, junior and primary schools will be shut or have partial closures because of the action by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

• List of Southampton school closures
• List of Hampshire school closures

Half of the city’s secondary schools are also affected, while four out of five special schools say they will have to close for the day.

Hampshire County Council is still awaiting information from schools before compiling a definitive list of closures, but has warned there could be “widespread disruption” as 41 per cent of teachers across the county are union members.

Colleges and universities are also expecting to be affected thanks to action by the University and Colleges Union (UCU).

Officials at both the county council and Southampton City Council have issued advice to head teachers in a bid to minimise the impact of the walkout.

Southampton’s education chief Cllr Jeremy Moulton said “The council is advising head teachers and governors on how to manage any issues that may arise from this action.

“I genuinely hope strike action does not cause disruption to children’s and young people’s education. School closures not only impact on the children but are also a huge inconvenience to parents.”

Unions say the strikes, which are part of a wider day of public sector protests, are in response to proposed changes to their pension provisions.

The Government wants to raise the retirement age for teachers and other public sector workers to 66 by 2020, increase employee contributions to pensions and end final salary schemes.

The aim is to reduce the burden to taxpayers, but unions say the changes mean teachers will have to work longer, pay more and retire on less money.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the NUT, described strike action as “always regrettable.”

But she added: “Teachers’ pensions are affordable and essential.

“To take away teachers’ pensions rights will see many leave the pension scheme and also the profession.

“This will be a disaster and it is one which can be avoided.”

Hampshire’s schools boss, Councillor Roy Perry, said that he hoped the strike action would not lead to widespread disruption of children’s education.

He said: “The decision to close a school will be one for head teachers and their governing bodies to make.

“They will have to decide if they have sufficient staff to open the school safely and maintain a full or revised curriculum.”