The UK government has proposed a 2.5 percent pay raise for experienced teachers, the largest claimed sustained pay raise since 2005. However, the seemingly positive move is not receiving hoped appreciation from unions. Unions plan to dismiss the ‘insignificant’ pay raise.
According to the new plan, starting salaries of recently recruited teachers will be increasing from £23,720 to £26,000. As per reports, “starting salaries in outer London would increase from 28,355 to £30,000, while those in inner London would go up from £29,664 to £32,000”.
The government aims to establish a trend which would eventually, lead to the salaries in outer London increasing up to £30,000 by September 2022.
Unfortunately, senior teaching unions are not welcoming the 2.5 per cent increase. In fact, the move is apparently getting termed, “devastating”. The union representatives feel that the nominal pay raise will not be enough to retain teachers, as they were hoping to receive at least a 7 percent increase in their pays.
The union leaders believe that pay raises were long-overdue. And 2.5 percent increase for experienced teachers for hardly suffice considering the RPI inflation.
According to reports, Department for Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “We want to make teaching attractive to the most talented graduates by recognizing the prestige that we as a society place on the profession”.
The unions have submitted their proposals to the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). Even though the increase to £26,000 is in line with the proposals from Association of School and College Leaders, presented to STRB recently. Nonetheless, STRB will now consider the new proposals and “respond with its recommendations later in the year,” as per reports.
There are no reviews yet.