Striking teachers could be forced to keep schools open when they take industrial action under plans for minimum service levels due to be unveiled by ministers today

Teachers will be forced to keep schools open while they take strike action to help under-pressure parents under plans to be unveiled today.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is due to announce a consultation on 'minimum service levels' that would limit the impact of industrial action.

It comes after a year of walkouts by teachers over pay and conditions that have closed schools across the UK. 

A report in August revealed in August that nearly four million working days had been lost to strikes in the previous 12 months – the highest total since the 1980, with walkouts from teachers, doctors, train drivers and postmen.

Though much of the action has now been settled, ministers have pushed on with plan to limit the impact of any future strikes. 

But the minimum service move is facing strong pushback from unions.

The National Education Union told the Sun it did not 'acknowledge the validity of MSLs given their impact on the fundamental right to strike'. 

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act gained royal assent in July. 

Moves are underway already to introduce terms for maintaining services in the NHS and on the railways. 

Ms Keegan is expected to unveil the plans in a written statement to MPs later.