The National Education Union is marking International Women’s Day
and the TUC's Women's Pay Day by challenging the Government to
take action to make teaching a genuinely equal profession for
women teachers.
Teaching is a predominantly female profession, yet women teachers
suffer from the gender pay gap in addition to the burdens of
unpaid overtime and the public sector pay cap.
The gender pay gap in teaching exists despite legislation to
protect women from unlawful discrimination:
• The average pay for
all women teachers is £2,900 less than for their male
counterparts (£37,700 compared to £40,660).[1]
• The pay gap is,
however, far wider for teachers in leadership positions. On
average, women head teachers earn £5,700 less than their male
counterparts[2].
• The gender pay gap
among leadership teachers also varies according to age group. On
average, women head teachers aged under 40 earn £5,400 less than
their male counterparts, those in their 40s earn £7,700 less,
those in their 50s earn £11,300 less and those aged 60 or over
earn £13,500 less; this represents a 16% pay gap.[3]
• A third of teachers
absent for all or part of the 2016-17 school year due to
pregnancy or maternity who were eligible for progression and knew
their outcome, had been denied it. More than half (61%) of such
teachers said that they had been specifically told that they had
been denied progression because of their absence. Maternity and
pregnancy discrimination is unlawful.[4]
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National
Education Union, said:
“The Government statistics illustrate the gender pay gap in
teaching. A survey of our members shows that performance related
pay is exacerbating the gender pay gap in teaching. Women’s Pay
Day highlights the long term injustice and impact of gender
stereotyping and pay awards based on biased sexist assumptions.
Our members will continue to challenge sexist stereotypes in the
classroom; the National Education Union will challenge unlawful
discrimination in pay decisions. It is time for the Government to
step up and offer a fair deal for women teachers.”
ENDS
Note to editors:
[1] in all state funded schools including academies in 2016.
Department for Education (20 July2017), School Workforce
in England: November 2016, London, Main tables: SFR21/2017
Table 9a www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-workforce-in-england-november-2016
[2] in all state funded schools in 2016. Ibid, Table 9c
[3] in all state funded schools in 2016. Ibid, Table 9d
[4] NEU Pay Survey 2017 https://www.teachers.org.uk/pay-pensions-conditions/pay/neu-submission-school-teachers-review-body
