A nationwide strike by secondary school teachers will see hundreds of schools close today.

Almost 18 thousand teachers will take to the picket lines calling for equal pay for equal work.

400 schools were closed yesterday for health and safety reasons - as ASTI members withdrew from supervision and substitution duties.

Today's industrial action centers around pay for newly qualified teachers and will see an extra 100 school closures.

Kieran Christie is General Secretary of the ASTI: