ATL comment on OECD report: Education at a Glance 2015

“The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report comes at an embarrassing time for George Osborne and Nicky Morgan. Whilst the Government is in denial about a crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, it remains wedded to a one per cent limit on public sector pay increases – and it’s a one per cent rise that not everyone will get.

“What is clear from the OECD is that entry salaries compare badly across all sectors in the UK, and internationally within education, which is obviously problematic for recruitment. The report also states that teachers salaries later in their career compare badly too, which is also problematic for retention.

”The Government still has an opportunity to relax the cap and let the independent pay body properly determine what pay award is needed. Over the course of George Osborne’s Chancellorship the value of teachers’ starting salaries has fallen by 10.6%. In monetary terms this represents £2,631 less for a new starter in 2015 in England and Wales when compared to 2010.

“ATL disagrees with the OECD’s assertion that our teachers are not interested in their own learning and development. Teachers lack the time for, support in, and access to continuing professional development but need greater commitment from the Government, school leadership and governors to enable effective CPD to be a regular part of their working lives.”