It's difficult to recruit teachers, but it's even more difficult trying to keep them. Inflation is running at about 2% at the time of writing. Teachers are rumoured, alongside other public sector workers, to to receive a 5.5% pay rise, there or there about. This is great news and certainly will be welcomed by the education sector and the unions. However, when one considers the impact on the UK's finances this will equate to roughly £5.5 billion for just teachers and nurses and £10 billion for all public sector workers. This may be divisive in the eyes of the public. Some will support it, whilst others may consider that with the UK's finances as they are this may be a little too much for the country to afford. However, with almost a quarter of teachers leaving the profession within the first three years of qualifying and approximately one third quitting within the first five years, the sector and profession is in crisis. Reeves has rightly stated that 'there is a cost to not settling.' Essentially more industrial action and strikes could well be on the cards, and really, the country can't afford this either. And in the interests of fairness the decision looks like it will be made on the back of recommendations from the independently appointed body for public sector workers.
The country can't afford this. That is, to not pay public sector workers properly. They have essentially had a pay cut; 9% between 2010 and 2023. If one thing is unfair, it's that during the austerity years teachers and other public sector workers have not been paid appropriately. The country can't afford to not pay their teachers properly. And once this has been resolved, the government need to get on with the job of looking at other disparities across education such as the gap between state and private schools, the mental health crisis enveloping every single year group in England, the crumbling buildings and the lack of resources; amongst many, many others. We welcome the potential pay rise, do you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or the forum.
Image courtesy of The Guardian/Simon Dawson
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