Commenting on the election of as leader of the Conservative Party, and her expected
becoming Prime Minister on
Tuesday,Kevin Courtney,
Joint General Secretary of the National Education
Union,
said:
" inherits a whole set of challenges in need of
urgent attention. The cost-of-living crisis affects every
citizen, every public service, every business. To survive this
period will require significant governmental support and swift
action.
"Teacher pay, support staff
pay and school funding are all live issues, with the
government's current pay deal falling far short of what is
required. Whoever ends up with the education brief must look
again at the case for a fully-funded pay rise which at least
matches inflation. The current 5% deal for teachers and 8% for
support staff adds up to a further pay cut, on top of more than a
decade of real-terms cuts to pay. Teacher recruitment and
retention has been in a parlous state for some time, and this
must be arrested urgently if we are to protect education services
into the future.
"School funding has been similarly
depressed in recent years, with the costs of running a school
continuing to rise. Austerity then Covid were tests of
resilience, and the energy crisis is the latest. Government
cannot expect schools to make ends meet
forever.
"Children and young people are
suffering as a result of the Government’s decision not to invest
in and prioritise education recovery. They should no longer be an
after-thought, nor bear the brunt, and we urge the new Prime
Minister to shield children during the cost-of-living crisis and
to take urgent steps to end child
poverty.
"The general public will see through
any attempt by to disassociate herself from twelve years of
Conservative mismanagement. She served under , and , and must carry that
collective responsibility with her. Some positive change in
direction to the benefit of the education system will be
welcome.”
