Teachers in England have suspended their next stage of industrial action after ministers agreed to discuss the dispute.

Earlier this month, people working in teaching jobs in London and the south-east took to the streets of the capital to show the government they wanted to negotiate about pay, pensions and working conditions and two of the biggest teaching unions had planned to stage a further one-day strike before Christmas.

However, the National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT have postponed the action until they hear what the government has to say, with both unions releasing a statement announcing education secretary Michael Gove had said he was "willing to discuss a basis for genuine talks".

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: "The public demonstration of the anger and frustration of teachers and the commitment of members to the action have secured the prospect of talks with the secretary of state.

"We look forward to securing progress in these talks as quickly as possible."

Her counterpart at the NUT Christine Blower said the regional strikes have demonstrated to the government the strength of feeling and concerns about the changes being made to the education profession.

One of the major reforms that has angered teachers is the move by Mr Gove to bring in new pay schemes, which would mean teachers were remunerated on the basis of how their pupils perform in tests. Teachers believe it is a tougher version of performance-related pay and unions say it is an attack on national pay structures. There is also the question of how the government expects to pay for the bill should all teachers perform to high standards.

As a teacher or somebody looking for a teaching job, do you feel that this is the first step in reaching an amicable solution to education reform? What concessions will need to be made for a long-standing agreement to be reached? 

Let us know your views on the subject that is dominating the educational agenda.