NASUWT comment on the government's response to the school teachers' review body's report
Commenting on the statement made by the Secretary of State Damien Hinds on the recommendation from the School Teachers’ Review Body that all pay and allowance ranges for teachers and school leaders are uplifted by 2.75%, Ms Chris Keates General Secretary (Acting) of NASUWT - The teachers’ union, said:
“Whilst an above inflation pay award of 2.75% is welcome, there is still much more to be done by Government to close the significant teachers’ pay gap which is making teaching uncompetitive with other comparable graduate professions.
“The Secretary of State has once again undermined the Review Body’s recommendation that this award should be across all pay ranges and allowances, by choosing to specify that this is an uplift on the maxima and minima of pay ranges.
“Most teachers are not on the maxima or minima of the pay ranges and once again it appears that employers are being encouraged actively by Government to use their discretion to deprive the majority of teachers of any pay award at all.
“The Secretary of State has announced a teachers’ pay grant will be made as a contribution towards payment of the award but once again has failed to ring fence this, meaning there is no guarantee that the funding will be used for teachers’ pay. Last year there was widespread abuse of this grant by too many schools, using it to fund anything but teachers’ pay.
“Once again, the Review Body has highlighted the deteriorating state of teacher supply, pointing out that teacher retention rates have continued to worsen, including now for experienced teachers, the targets for new teacher recruitment were missed by Government again last year, retention rates for headteachers have fallen and there has been a steady decline in the teachers’ pay framework, which is a significant contributor to teacher supply difficulties.
“Despite this clear evidence of the deep and continuing problems, the Secretary of State continues to pursue the same flawed policies which have created the worst teacher recruitment and retention crisis in this country since World War II.Teachers and the children and young people they teach deserve better.
“Employers should be under no illusion that having received a Teachers’ Pay Grant and given that there is £4.1 billion in reserves across the school system, the NASUWT will challenge any employer who seeks to deprive any teacher of the recommended pay award.”
