Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the announcement that schools will be able to use a reduction in local government pension scheme employer contributions to help cover the cost of the teachers’ pay award.
“We are pleased that the government has seen sense and found a way of providing additional funding for the school teachers’ pay award.
“School leaders were extremely concerned that the shortfall they were facing would leave them with no alternative other than to make further cutbacks to educational provision. The situation was that stark.
“We have been representing these concerns to the government over the past few weeks and this breakthrough is very welcome.
“However, we note that the government has said only that this money will cover costs ‘at national level’ and we will be taking a close look at the implications at the level of individual schools.
“It should not need saying that every school must have the funding that it requires to pay its staff.
“Despite the extra funding, the wider pressure on school and college budgets remains intense.
“It is essential that the government supports our shared ambitions for education with the funding necessary to deliver them.”