At least 164 secondary schools will be closed on Thursday as teachers go on strike in protest at government plans to increase teaching hours and cut holidays.

Some 20,000 teachers are taking part in the strike, which has been called by the biggest teaching union Aob. Thousands are expected to gather at the Jaarbeurs exhibition centre in Utrecht to demonstrate against the government’s plans.
In particular, teachers are opposed to increasing the number of teaching hours to 1,040, which has majority support in parliament. They want the number to remain at 1,000 to prevent pupils having to stay in school when they have no lessons.
Teaching staff are also unhappy about minister Marja van Bijsterveldt’s plans to freeze salaries and to make cuts to special education.