Government has referred the teachers' dispute to mediation after strikes at four schools sent parents scurrying to collect their children - only to learn hours later the action had been called off.

And The Royal Gazette has learned further lightning strikes are possible as teachers pressure Government to increase pay after branding last month's offer "ridiculous".

However Government has now referred the matter to mediation by the Labour Ministry to break the impasse.

Education Minister Paula Cox said teachers were valued, but Government had to be fiscally prudent.

She said: "We weren't given advance notice of what appears to be unofficial action."

Yesterday, teachers stopped work at Somerset Primary, Spice Valley Middle School, Whitney Institute and Paget Primary just after classes began.

Parents were phoned and told to pick up their children from some schools while others heard about it on the radio.

Police and Education Ministry officials were sent to help out, but parents were angry at the lack of warning over the action.

Amanda Thompson was hit twice by the strike, having to leave work to first pick up her seven-year-old son Joshua from Paget Primary and then his 11-year-old brother Samuel from Spice Valley.

She said: "It's very inconvenient. I was in the office planning to be there all day. I had no idea about this. I was listening to the radio on the way in and the 8.15 news didn't mention it.

"The first I heard was about 9.30 from a colleague who was told to pick up her child.

"They should have told parents; we aren't to blame for any dispute.

"If they had at least mentioned it last night I might have been able to arrange something for the children but as it is I have to take the whole day off work now."

Her anger was echoed by Terrance Simons who came to pick up 13-year-old daughter Kieasha. "I was working but I don't have anybody to watch her.

"I might have to keep her at my workplace. It's real awkward. I don't want her hanging on the job site too long.

"I had to pay for a taxi to come down here and pick her up and take time off work. They should have let us know ahead of time so we didn't bring them to school. It's a waste of time."

At Paget Primary, parent Lejay Minors told of how she had to leave work to pick up her seven-year-old daughter.

She said: "I dropped my child off, went to work and then someone said the radio was saying the school was having some kind of action.

"The school said it was up to us whether we wished to get our children. I don't have a clue what it's all about.

"Depending on what the situation is I might support the teachers in their action but I don't really know at this point. I would just like to know what is going on."

Semone Scott also has a seven-year-old at the school. She said: "This was a big surprise. I am just trying to find out what it's all about."

At Spice Valley, Mary Ratteray had stopped work to come and pick up her 11-year-old grand daughter Yaan.

"I am very surprised about this. If someone hadn't called me I would never have known. There should be more warning at least, instead of everyone having to drop their tools."

Shadow Education Minister Tim Smith said the action represented 18 months of unrest among teachers.

He said: "We have seen walkouts, strikes and sit-ins. Clearly the Government is not listening to their concerns adequately."

He added: "Between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m., parents dropped off their children expecting them to be in class rooms all day.

"By nine o'clock parents were called at work and asked to collect them. This is disruptive to children, parents and employers.

"We should have a mechanism that prevents this from re-occurring. My concern is first and foremost that we avoid disrupting children's education."

Asked why no notice was given about the action, Bermuda Union of Teachers General Secretary Michael Charles said: "Is that normal in industrial action?"

Mr. Charles added that he didn't like the question. He said: "Teachers took action this morning to express their displeasure over salaries."

The Royal Gazette understands teachers had demanded ten percent pay hikes but Government was only offering three.

He said: "We have not asked for any percentage. We have never put a percentage to Government."

He said the decision about further action would be taken by the membership.

Paget Primary Principal Wendell Smith kept a close eye on children as parents arrived to pick them up.

He said by mid-morning, the teachers had called off their action but by that time around 200 of the schools 247 pupils had gone home and weren't coming back.

"The school is over at 3.15 (p.m.) so it doesn't make sense for people to bring their children back."

Asked if there had been any warning of the action, he said: "There was talk last night this might be the case because there was a union meeting last night.

"But it did catch us a little bit by surprise in that the teachers did show up. There were rumours but we didn't know what school it would be.

"When we had industrial action three or four years ago, the teachers called in sick so we knew when we started what the situation was."

At Whitney Institute, students were seen walking in every direction, glad to get an early start to the weekend.

"I'm happy that school's out," said one student. "I'm going home to get some sleep."

But one irate mother said she was "absolutely irritated" that the children were not properly dismissed from school.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, was upset because she was called to pick up her daughter, only to be told upon her arrival that she could not be found.

"I am irritated because they don't even know where she is," she said. "I just started a new job and she can't be left home by herself."

And while she said she sympathised with whatever issues the teachers were having, she said she believed they could have acted more responsibly.

"They were still responsible for the children until they were dismissed. I left my daughter in their care."

Another parent recounted dozens of students fleeing at the beginning of the school day.

"I was dropping my child off and children were telling her to go home because there wasn't any classes," she said.

"Then a bunch of them starting running out of the gate. One teacher tried to get them to come back. Some listened, some were too far gone."

While he refused to speak to the media, new principal Freddie Evans was seen outside the school gates maintaining order and ushering students onto their respective buses.

"This is messing up my workday," one parent called out to him.

Whitney Educational Trust chairman Tom Davis said all 350 pupils at the school had to be sent home.

He said he hoped the Government was talking to the union to sort out their differences "so that when Monday comes we don't have a repeat of this action".