Commenting on a new Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) analysis
published ahead of the Spring Statement on 23
March, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary
of the National Education Union, said:
"The IFS research and the worsening inflation outlook reinforce
the NEU's call for the restoration of the pay losses imposed on
teachers and other educators since 2010. IFS points out
that public sector workers have suffered from huge real terms
cuts to pay over the past decade. In education this has
already resulted in major recruitment and retention problems, and
cuts to educators' living standards. Teachers and other
educators are key workers whose contribution to the pandemic
response has been immense; the Government must protect their
living standards instead of continuing to cut their pay.
"The real-terms growth rate in Department for Education funding
announced for the Spending Review period (2022-23 to 2024-25) is
2% a year. This was already a slowing from the previous
three-year period. The IFS estimates a quarter of the real-terms
increase in spending will be wiped out through inflation. The
education sector is set to lose out yet again.
"Teachers and other educators are already in the midst of a
cost-of-living crisis even before the impact of higher
inflation. They can't afford any more pay cuts, but the
Government can afford to invest in our public services including
education. Cuts to public sector pay damage the private
sector too, due to the reduced spending power of public sector
workers. Cuts to education cause significant economic
damage, because economic recovery depends on investing in the
skills and potential of our young people. Government
investment to protect our public services including education is
essential, and that means restoring pay cuts instead of
inflicting more of them."
