Pickets outside schools did not disrupt examinations

Unison and Nipsa called off strike action planned for Friday after talks with Education Minister Angela Smith.

Nipsa said it understood the minister would soon announce more money would be provided for education in the province.

Nipsa's Brian Campfield said they had "some success" in persuading the minister about the "justice of the case" for extra education funding.

On Tuesday, the secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation hinted at a boost for Northern Ireland's schools.

Union official Frank Bunting said he expected there would be "good news" for teachers and classroom assistants in the next two weeks.

He was speaking following talks with the education minister.

'Underpaid for years'

Meanwhile, exams went ahead as normal on Wednesday despite separate strike action by classroom assistants at primary and special schools protesting delays in re-assessing pay structure.

Nipsa had called on its members employed by the education and library boards to strike, saying they had been "underpaid for years".

Nipsa's General Secretary John Corey said it was disgraceful that the staff had been forced to take strike action.

"It is disgraceful that people who provide an essential service for the education of children - and particularly for the most precious of children with special needs - should be forced to take strike action to achieve basic fairness on pay," he said.