Children and teachers need a new deal for education, says NEU

Speaking ahead of the TUC’s march through London as part of its ‘New Deal for Working People’, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said:

“With a teacher shortage crisis, the Government needs to focus on improving teachers’ pay and provide a fully-funded pay rise as part of a package of increased funding for all schools and colleges. Teachers’ pay has been cut by around 15 per cent since 2010 and, alongside excessive workload, this is harming recruitment and retention in schools and making it hard for schools to find subject specialists in English, maths, sciences and foreign languages. Without increased funding schools will have to continue cutting the number of support staff, which leaves vulnerable children with less support and further increases teachers’ workloads.”

Mary Bousted will be speaking at the rally at Hyde Park at 1.45pm on Saturday 12 May.