Responding to the publication of a written ministerial statement
confirming that teachers’ pay is to increase by 2.75% in the next
academic year, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson said:
“It was rumoured that ’s legacy would include an end
to school cuts. Instead, her final act has been to make school
cuts worse.
“Teaching unions are warning that the Conservatives haven’t
provided enough money to fund this pay rise – they’ve left a
black hole of £280 million. Teachers will welcome this
well-deserved pay increase but it will subject schools to further
misery.
“Headteachers must now decide which support staff they will have
to sack or which basic supplies they will have to cut back on to
afford this underfunded pay rise. No headteacher should have to
make these sorts of decisions – schools should be fully funded
and teachers should be paid properly.
“Liberal Democrats are calling for an emergency cash injection to
reverse school cuts so that teachers have the pay they deserve
and the resources they need.”
Notes to editors:
The written statement, announcing a 2.75% uplift for all teaching
pay ranges and a £105 million increase in the Teachers’ Pay
Grant, can be found here:
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-07-22/HCWS1766/
Andrew Baisley of the National Education Union, who developed the
methodology for the ‘School Cuts’ website, tweeted earlier today
that the increase in the Teachers’ Pay Grant is £280 million
short of what would be needed to fully fund this pay award:
https://twitter.com/andrewbaisley/status/1153247285251399681
