Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the Government’s submission to the School Teachers' Review Body.
“The long-term decline in the real value of teacher pay has put educational standards at serious risk. The resultant recruitment and retention crisis means it is a constant challenge for school leaders simply to put a teacher at the front of the classroom. The suggestion that a three per cent pay award for the majority of teachers, which works out as yet another real-terms pay cut, is enough to solve the major staff shortages is not grounded in reality.
“The STRB must recommend the significant improvements to pay that are required to protect the education service from further harm. Meanwhile, we will continue to engage with the Department for Education in the hope of finding a resolution to the current industrial dispute.”