Teachers’ pay continues to be cut, National Education Union says

Teachers’ pay continues to be cut, National Education Union says

Teachers’ pay continues to be cut because schools are increasingly failing to give them cost of living increases as well as denying them pay progression, according to the National Education Union’s annual national pay survey.

The survey of over 12,000 teachers shows that one in five (21 per cent) teachers have not received a pay rise from September this year, and a further 30 per cent were still waiting to hear whether they would get an annual pay rise for this year.

In addition, five years after the government introduced performance related pay (PRP) for all teachers, 14 per cent of teachers eligible for pay progression on their pay scale were denied it.

A further 25 per cent still have no idea whether they will receive any pay progression this year.

The survey also shows that over 90 per cent of those denied pay progression were not told during the year they they were not meeting the standards needed to progress, even though government guidance says this should happen.

Eighty-eight per cent thought the decision to deny them progression was unfair, only one in five (22%) are appealing the decision, with many saying that they have already been told not to bother appealing.

Although nearly a third (30 per cent) of those denied progression were told they would not progress for alleged failure to meet pupil progress objectives, 17 per cent were told that they were being denied progression for budgetary reasons, despite government guidance that funding should not be a factor.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The government has created chaos on teachers’ pay which is contributing to the crisis in recruiting and retaining teachers. Many teachers are facing pay cuts because their schools are not raising their pay this year. And, despite all the government’s assurances that PRP would not be unfairly applied, many others are being hit doubly hard because their schools are not allowing them to progress up the pay scale.

“Schools are in a difficult position because many are struggling to make ends meet. But denying teachers a pay rise simply drives them away from teaching.”

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