Commenting on new research by the
National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) showing that
Government proposals on teacher pay are not the solution to
recruitment problems, particularly in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths (STEM)
subjects,Kevin
Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education
Union,
said:
"The NFER research is further
confirmation of the damage that will be caused by the
Government's plan to again cut the value of teacher pay. As
NFER notes, the improvements to some teacher supply measures due
to the pandemic was short term and the more attractive pay levels
outside of teaching represent a serious threat to teacher
supply
"NFER is right to highlight the
importance of pay in relation to teacher supply. The
Government's plan to increase pay for most teachers by just 3%,
when RPI inflation is 11.7%, means another huge real-terms cut to
teacher pay to add to the losses of around a fifth since
2010. With private sector pay already increasing by 8%, the
Government's plan would result in further damage to the value of
teacher pay relative to earnings in the wider economy and the
graduate labour market. This double whammy of pay cuts
against both inflation and earnings will intensify the already
critical teacher supply problems.
"Any differential pay increases will
cause further damage - lower pay increases for experienced
teachers will cause fury and result in a worsening of the already
serious retention problem. We need to not only recruit more
teachers by improving starting pay, but also to provide pay
progression to pay levels sufficient to properly value teachers
throughout their careers.
"Solving the critical teacher supply
problems is in the interests of young people and their parents,
as well as of educators. It is not possible to repair
teacher pay, value them properly and effectively support teacher
supply within the current inadequate funding
envelope.
"Instead of pay cuts against inflation
and wider earnings, and differential pay increases which further
fragment teacher pay and create further supply problems, we need
urgent action from the Government to protect the living standards
of teachers and other educators. The Government can afford,
and the country needs, fully funded and inflation-plus cost of
living increases across all pay scales as well as action to
tackle excessive workload. This is what is needed to send a
clear and unambiguous signal that all teachers and other
educators will be valued, so that we can protect education in the
interests of young people and parents as well as of educators
themselves."
