TEACHERS across the borough are to be balloted for industrial action over staff shortages.

Union agreements say teachers should only cover for absent colleagues for the first three days of an unplanned absence and after that a supply teacher should be brought in.

Members of two of the country's largest teaching unions, the NUT and the NASUWT, began working-to-rule in London and Doncaster last week. They are refusing to cover lessons for colleagues who have been absent for more than three days.

Later this term union members in Bury will vote on whether they want to follow suit.

Bury NUT representative Helen Andrews said: "Although the situation in Bury is not as bad as in Manchester or Rochdale, several schools are already having difficulties. "The problem is getting worse because there is a supply shortage. Young people are not coming into teaching, secondary school pupil populations are increasing and there is a higher turnover of staff, with vacancies being covered by supply teachers for upwards of a full term."

She added that a further problem was created by badly-hit authorities, like Manchester and Rochdale, swallowing up supply teachers.

In the long-term, industrial action could see the school week reduced to four days, with pupils being sent home early because of staff shortages.

The unions have urged the Government to act as a matter of urgency and they claim their work-to-rule is aimed at improving standards of education for children in the long-term.

But education secretary David Blunkett has accused teachers of "abandoning children".

"Mr Blunkett is failing to grasp the problem," said Richard Palfreyman, NUT regional spokesman.

"He fails to appreciate that the action is not trying to deny children their education but to enhance it.