Education Pay

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the pay of teachers and other education staff.

Firstly, I pay tribute to education staff for all that they have done this year. At a time when in our schools, and in every aspect of our lives, we have faced the most exceptional disruption, staff have kept children safe and learning, in the classroom and remotely. Everyone in this country owes teachers, school leaders and support staff in every part of our education system an enormous thanks for all they have done for children and young people.

As you know, in July 2021, the Government confirmed a pause to headline pay rises for the majority of public sector workforces in 2021-22, amounting to a real-terms pay cut for the majority of teaching staff.

According to TES, the pay freeze will amount to a real-terms fall in pay for experienced teachers of around 8 per cent compared with 15 years ago. Moreover, analysis by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows real-terms pay for less experienced teachers is also about 4-5 per cent lower than in 2007, just before the global financial crisis.

A real-terms pay cut for the vast majority of teachers is an insult after the heroic work they have done to keep children safe and learning throughout the pandemic. After the work they have done in the last year, teachers and school leaders deserve more. Instead, teachers are being left worse off, and the Government is breaking a promise to raise starting salaries.

Teachers have experienced a decade of neglect, which is driving them out of classrooms. They deserve to be respected and recognised for their skill and expertise, not forced to take another real-terms cut to their salaries.

The Government should also be listening to the concerns of school support staff and engaging meaningfully with them as front line professionals.

Ensuring every child can bounce back from the pandemic should be a top priority. Our dedicated education staff have worked incredibly hard to support children and families through the pandemic. We must now recognise their invaluable contribution if we are to deliver the promise of a bright future for every child.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP