Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on uncertainty over the teacher pay award 2024/25 following the calling of the General Election on 4 July.
“The Department for Education has not been able to give us any steer on the fate of the teacher pay award – and we fear no decision will now be made until after the General Election.
“The implications of this delay are serious as it means that teachers and leaders have no clarity about what they will be paid when they come back after the summer break, and schools are unable to plan their budgets for next year with any confidence.
“This is particularly problematic in the context of school budgets being under massive pressure with many schools planning deficit budgets while they consider further cuts.
“Frustratingly, we know the pay review body recommendation has already been delivered to the Education Secretary and it is now sat collecting dust in Whitehall.
“Although the current circumstances are unusual, delays to the teacher pay award are not, and the government has a habit of making this decision far too late in the day.
“We’ll be urging the new government to settle this matter as soon as possible making sure that the pay award addresses the huge challenges over teacher recruitment and retention and that it is fully funded so that schools are able to afford it.”