The devolution of teachers’ pay and conditions is an
opportunity to elevate the status of the teaching profession
in Wales, says Education Secretary .
Powers over teachers’ pay and conditions are in the process of
being devolved to the Welsh Government from Westminster under the
Wales Act.
The Welsh Government will take responsibility for this area at
the end of this September, with teachers’ pay and conditions
being set by the Welsh Government from September 2019.
A consultation opens today on the mechanism for deciding
teachers’ pay and conditions in Wales, with a model that would
see unions, employers and the Welsh Government working together
as part of a partnership forum.
This new Partnership Forum would be able to propose changes to a
draft remit for pay and conditions and set the agenda for any
other issues that needed to be considered.
Following consideration of the Forum’s views, Welsh Ministers
would submit a ‘final’ remit for scrutiny and analysis by an
independent expert body prior to taking any final decisions.
Running parallel to the consultation is a group set up to review
teachers’ pay and conditions, chaired by Professor Mick Waters.
The group will consider where and how the current system could be
improved and will report to the Cabinet Secretary later this
year.
Responsibility for teachers’ pay and conditions forms part of a
broader set of measures to strengthen the profession in Wales.
These include investment in business managers to reduce the
administrative burden on headteachers, addressing classroom
bureaucracy, reducing infant class sizes and the introduction of
new professional standards.
said:
“I want to work closely with the profession to help teachers be
the best they can be and that means looking at everything we can
do to support them - whether it be a fair and sensible structure
for deciding pay and conditions, new ways to cut classroom
bureaucracy or better professional development.
“As a government, we have been absolutely clear that there’s no
question of teachers being paid less than teachers in
England. The model we’re consulting on will ensure that
unions, employers and Welsh Government can come together and
agree a fair, sensible and sustainable way forward.
“We also have to look at this in the round; there has never been
a better opportunity to develop a truly national model that
enshrines a national approach to supporting and elevating the
profession.
“I would urge everyone who shares our ambitions to take part in
this consultation.”
ENDS
NOTES
Responsibility for teachers’ pay and conditions forms part of a
broader set of measures to strengthen the profession in Wales.
These include a £1.2 million investment to address classroom
bureaucracy, with business managers supporting headteachers to
manage their workload and focus on teaching, and a new £36m
fund to address infant class sizes. New professional standards
have also been developed with the profession, for the profession
and a National Academy for Educational Leadership has been set up
to support all leaders in education at all stages of their
careers.
Recognising the excellent work of teachers has also become a
priority with the creation of the Professional Teaching Awards
Cymru.
The consultation will be available on the Welsh Government
website from tomorrow morning:
https://beta.gov.wales/devolution-teachers-pay-and-conditions (English)
