Commenting on today’s talks with Education Secretary about teacher pay, the
recruitment and retention crisis, and the prospect of industrial
action, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of
School and College Leaders, said:
“We met with the Education Secretary this morning alongside other
education union colleagues to discuss the erosion in the real
value of teacher and leader pay because of below-inflation pay
awards, the consequent recruitment and retention crisis, and the
prospect of industrial action.
“While it is good that these talks are continuing, and we are
fully supportive of an ongoing dialogue, we have to report that
no progress was made at this meeting and we are no nearer a
solution.
“There are three unresolved issues. The first is the inadequacy
of the pay award in this academic year, which at 5% for most
teachers and leaders is well below inflation, currently running
at 13.4% on the Retail Price Index measure and 10.5% on the
Consumer Price Index measure. The fact that the pay award was not
fully funded by the government has piled more financial pressure
on to school leaders and governors.
“The second is next year’s pay award which the Education
Secretary has already sought to constrain in her remit letter to
the pay review body where she says it is particularly important
to have regard to the government’s inflation target – which at 2%
would represent yet another substantial below-inflation pay
award.
“The third is the unsustainable workload of leaders and teachers.
This is a direct consequence of the insufficiency of government
funding to education over the past 12 years which has left staff
having to do more work with fewer resources.
“Nobody wants to see industrial action, but it is not surprising
that members of the NEU have voted in favour of strike action in
these circumstances. Teacher shortages are a critical issue for
virtually every school and college in the country and are causing
educational damage on a daily basis. The government must do
better for teachers, leaders and pupils.”
