Education Secretary Gillian Keegan responds to the NEU’s decision to accept the Government’s pay offer.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

“The decision of the largest teaching union, the National Education Union, to accept the 6.5% pay rise offered by the Government is good news for teachers, good news for parents, and most of all, good news for children.

“The deal brings an end to the disruption faced by parents and young people and means we can focus on what matters most – giving our children a world class education. That means tackling persistent absence and getting every child through the school gates every day, a relentless focus on closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and continued action to help young people make up for time lost during the pandemic.

"None of that is possible without the hard work of teachers. So as a new school year approaches, I am looking forward to working closely with teachers, school leaders and teaching unions to make sure we’re tackling the issues that matter most and delivering the education that every child deserves - wherever they are in the country.”