Speaking at the Trade
Union Congress (TUC) Conference in Brighton today (Tues
18th Oct), Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school
leaders’ union NAHT, announced that, following a national
consultation with the union’s members, school leaders across
England and Wales, NAHT will be proceeding with a formal ballot
on industrial action.
NAHT represents school leaders in the majority of primary schools
in England. 64% of its membership responded to a survey between
Tuesday 27th and Friday 14thOctober.
84% of respondents indicated they wanted to be balloted on taking
action short of strike, should a suitable agreement on pay and
funding not be reached. 55% of respondents indicated they wanted
to be balloted on taking strike action.
Mr Whiteman said: “Over the course of the last few months, I have
travelled the country hearing from our members directly. I have
never heard more anger and despair.
“School leaders across the country are telling me that they
cannot continue to run their schools in the current
circumstances. The neglect of pay in education and the funding to
support it is now eroding the quality of education that our
members can provide.
“Schools are caught is a vicious spiral. Insufficient pay has
contributed to a recruitment and retention crisis. And the
failure to fund even the insufficient award this year means that
heart-breaking cuts to services will have to be made. Less people
and fewer services will lead to an erosion of educational
quality.
“Based on current projections, even with this year’s pay award,
school leaders’ salaries will have lost about a
quarter (24%) of their value since
2010. They are feeling demoralised and undervalued. Worse than
that, they are finding themselves unable to provide the level of
education and support for pupils that they know is needed, due to
the massive cost pressures that keep piling on to school budgets
and the government’s continued under-funding of education.
“Education funding is due to be 3% less in real terms in
2024/2025 than it was in 2010. Spiralling energy bills,
inflationary costs, and lack of funding for teachers’ pay this
year means thousands of schools are predicting going into
deficit. Consequently, school leaders are being forced to make
cuts that ultimately cannot help but negatively impact on the
education and wellbeing of children.
“This is not a situation the dedicated and caring professionals I
represent can put up with any longer. Their primary concern is
the education and wellbeing of the pupils and staff in their
schools. They are telling me very clearly that they feel unable
to continue to operate under these circumstances.
“It is almost unprecedented for the relentlessly reasonable
professionals I know our members to be, but we have no choice but
to move to a formal industrial action ballot to establish what
next steps they would like to take.
“No school leader would ever take any industrial action lightly,
but they are telling me they feel compelled to fight for the
futures of the children and young people in their care. It is no
exaggeration to say that the future of education is on the line.
“I have today written to the Secretary of State for Education to
inform him that we are now officially in dispute. I can only urge
him and the government to listen and take urgent action.
“School leaders will do everything in their power to avoid
disruption to pupils. But they are clear that to do nothing will
only ensure that nothing changes. My appeal to the government is
to engage with us and find a solution that serves the needs of
the profession and in turn the ambition of young people.”
School leaders in Wales have also indicated their depth of
concern in a survey held concurrently by NAHT Cymru. 84% of NAHT
Cymru members responded, with 91% saying wanted to be balloted on
action short of strike, and 64% saying they wanted to be balloted
on industrial action including strike, if an agreement cannot be
found.
Today (Tuesday 18th October) also sees action short of strike
commence for school leaders in Northern Ireland, after 93% of
NAHT(NI) members voted in favour in a formal consultative ballot.
