Unions have slammed the government’s pay rise for teachers as the “worst of both worlds”, saying the “derisory” settlement will lead to further cutbacks.
With just a day to go until Theresa May is replaced as prime minister, the government revealed that teachers would receive an inflation-busting 2.75% pay rise – the equivalent of a £1,000-a-year.
But with education secretary Damian Hinds only committing to an additional £105 million of funding to cover the boost in pay, teachers say the change will put school budgets under even further strain.
“The government has managed to achieve the worst of all worlds by announcing a derisory pay settlement for teachers which schools cannot afford to deliver,” said Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
The 2.75% increase in pay is “well below” what is needed to make up for “years of erosion in the real value of pay” and to improve teacher recruitment and retention, he said.
“Worse still, our reading of the government’s statement is that the first 2% of the award will have to come from existing school budgets which are already under intense pressure and cannot sustain more unfunded costs,” Barton added.
“It is inevitable that this will result in more cutbacks, and while schools will do their best to implement the increase, we would not be surprised if some are unable to do so.”
Meanwhile, the National Education Union accused the government of “effectively loading further costs of £280 million onto schools” – despite the need for additional investment in schools and in teacher pay.
“Last year the Department for Education funded everything above 1%, and this year they are expecting schools to find the first 2% of the 2.75% pay rise, with the remainder coming from as yet unspecified pre-existing DfE budgets. This means more cuts,” the union said in a statement. It is now calling for a fully-funded 5% boost to teacher’s pay.
Announcing the pay rise, Hinds said it would leave teachers with “more money in their pockets”.
“If we want the best people working in our classrooms then it’s right that we ensure their salaries recognise the vital nature of their work and the potentially life-changing impact they can have on the lives of our children.”
The government also revealed pay increases for other public sector workers, with soldiers getting a 2.9% boost and police constables set to take home an additional £978-a-year. Meanwhile, hospital doctors will receive an extra £1,500.
May – who will leave Number 10 for the last time on Tuesday – said the pay rises were in recognition of the “brilliant job” public sector workers do.
“In 2017 we ended the public sector pay cap and I’m pleased that we can build on this today by giving almost a million of our dedicated public servants an above inflation salary increase,” she said.
