Teachers marching for pay, February 2023. Their struggle continues. Photo Workers.
The National Education Union is running a ballot of its members in schools in England to test their response to the government’s offer of an unfunded 6.5 per cent pay increase over three years.
This offer is unlikely to match inflation. And it will certainly do nothing to alleviate the existing recruitment and retention crisis in schools.
Worse still, as the pay increase is unfunded schools would have to find the money from their budgets, which are already stretched.
The results are likely to be detrimental to the education of pupils: cuts in staffing levels; fewer subject options for students; and reduced support from teaching assistants.
The government also proposes to loosen the rules on “directed time” – the hours teachers are required to work. Workload is already at a record level – one of the reasons teachers are leaving the profession. Without the protection of “directed time” teachers can be asked to work more hours, including before and after school.
NEU has a good track record when it comes to pressuring the government. Last year its indicative ballot returned over 83 per cent support for strike action, with a turnout of 94 per cent, in response to a 2.8 per cent offer. After the ballot, the government eventually settled for 4 per cent.
There is no guarantee of a repeat this year; but a high turnout is an essential first step. The ballot will run from 28 February to 17 April.
• Separately, Sixth Form College teachers have turned out to vote by 93.9 per cent for a 4 per cent pay rise, while rejecting the employers’ response to their demands on workload.