Commenting on the Government’s announcement on teachers’ pay and
the 1% public sector pay cap, Kevin Courtney, General Secretary
of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union,
said:
“This is a missed opportunity which the Government will come to
regret as the teacher recruitment and retention crisis gets
worse.
‘Teachers’ pay increases have fallen behind inflation by 13%
since 2010 while this public sector pay policy has been applied.
This latest pay announcement will mean that figure increases to
over 15%. The pay being offered to newly qualified teachers would
be over £3500 higher if the pay cap had never been applied and
schools would have far fewer difficulties in recruiting new
graduates.
‘The Government’s attack on national pay scales and its pursuit
of performance related pay at a time of funding cuts in schools
has meant that teachers are increasingly unlikely to get pay
progression either. The result is that the Government’s own
figures show that average pay for classroom teachers has only
gone up by £300 – less than 1% – since 2010.
‘The Government announcement does however allow a 2% increase for
all teachers on the Main pay scale, not just newly qualified
teachers, and the NUT will be pressing the Government to ensure
that this happens.
‘The School Teachers’ Review Body has told the Government that
teachers continue to be paid less than other graduate
professionals throughout their careers and that the pressures
faced by schools in attracting high quality teachers have not
reduced. It has also said that there needs to be a longer-term
investment in an effective teaching workforce. This clearly
supports the NUT’s argument that the Government needs to invest
in more and better paid school staff.”
