To ask why the NEU aren’t sitting down and talking about pay?

[Isntthatapippette]

Genuine not goady.

Dear parents and carers,

I’m writing to update you ahead of the strike action planned by the National Education Union on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

This industrial action will mean more disruption to children’s education and to your lives too – whether that’s work, arranging childcare, or changing other plans.

I am extremely disappointed that many young people will once again miss invaluable time learning with their teachers and friends, particularly after their education was significantly disrupted during the pandemic.

It is made worse by the fact that this strike action is completely unnecessary. As I said to the NEU three weeks ago, I want to get around the table and engage in serious talks on teachers’ pay and other issues to resolve disputes.

My only condition was that strike action is paused so those discussions can take place in good faith and without disruption.

This was the same offer, and the same condition, made to unions representing nurses, ambulance workers and physiotherapists. Those unions accepted that offer, paused their strikes and are now negotiating on behalf of their members in private.

The NEU instead seems focused on strikes and all the needless disruption that brings.

This morning I have written to the unions again to invite them to have those talks on Wednesday and Thursday this week – all they need to do is call off strikes which are unnecessary and benefit no one.

The single best thing the NEU could do for both its members and for children and young people would be to sit down and talk about pay.

I will continue doing everything I can to end the disruption your family is facing as quickly as possible, particularly because I know exams for older pupils are coming up fast.

I hope any arrangements you make this week mean that pupils’ education can continue – even if not in the classroom – and that the next time I write it will be with news that this disruption has been brought to an end.

Yours sincerely,

The Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP
Secretary of State for Education

noblegiraffe
They might have been, Clav but primary school trainee applications dropping by 15% when NQT pay is rising to £30,000 isn't a good sign, is it?

That depends if other occupations are seeing a similar drop in applications - 2001/2002 were low birth rate years, then disruptions due to the pandemic may have altered uni/career plans - perhaps students are having a post-degree gap year/staying on for a masters...

Not to mention that primary school pupil numbers are set to decline substantially in the near future.

The targets take that into account, Clav

Still being missed.

Interesting to see that you think that not having enough teachers to go around isn’t a problem though. Parents disagree.

NEU called off strikes in Walden as Welsh government were willing to negotiate and have offered us an improved offer. Hence why I am in work and not on a picket line. It is lunchtime, hence the post!

Under free market capitalism "paid enough" is the pay that will ensure enough qualified people want to do the job.

As, currently, there are not enough teachers of most secondary subjects in the UK, and in some areas schools struggle to recruit primary teachers AND less and less people want to go into the profession, clearly teachers are not "paid enough".

Those of us striking today are the ones who care enough to stay in teaching when many of us could earn more in other careers...

When I did my PGCE, which wasn't so long ago, most people on the course were not straight out of uni- instead most were in their mid-late 20s or early 30s, and had already got experience in another career. I'd say about 10% were older career changers and maybe 1/3 were straight out of uni.

People can and do train to teach at any age, and the bursaries make it possible to do this even if you need to pay a mortgage etc. So recruitment really doesn't rely on birth rate.

Believe it or not, the DfE set these targets at levels they think will meet need but are also achievable. And yet year on year, they are missing them, sometimes by huge amounts.

This will likely be the first year that primary is significantly under target too.

If the pay and conditions look so good from the outside, surely we could at least attract people to train?

I don't think it's just about the salary but I could definitely match my current salary if I returned to industry. Current starting salaries in my previous job in industry or the NHS are higher than £30,000 and pay progression is comparable to teaching, and actually you can earn similar to a middle leader without having to take on management or school wide responsibility, which is attractive to some people.

Personally, I didn't enjoy it, but it is a job that contributes to society, and you can do it within the NHS, so there is the option to have the public sector benefits, pension etc.

I want to stay in teaching, but that's getting harder and harder each year.

(when I say school wide in the previous post, I obviously mean comparable institution/department wide responsibility in industry)

Both my children (mid-20s) are earning more in their post-uni jobs than I am in teaching after over 30 years.

What’s in the Budget for schools?

Oh, primary schools now have to open from 8am to 6pm. Thanks, Jeremy.

Just to make one small point. I have spent 10% of my monthly wage already this month on resources for my class. This means we have glue sticks good enough to complete DT lessons and craft resources to make Mother's Day cards and gifts.

I know I don't have to but if I don't my children will not be able to experience and learn all they should so I and many others do this. If school budgets were better my salary would be my own and yes very reasonable.

In the budget they are raising pensions in line with inflation at 10.1%.
And raising child benefit in line with inflation.

But we are supposed to be happy with 5%.

Even the better deal in Wales is 8% this year, with 1.5% not carrying over to the year after. And a lower deal already offered for next year.

Some people are considering saying yes. Esp as they are warning that if it isn't sorted in 2 days time, it can't be backdated to Sept.

Yet in Scotland, one of their pay increases is being backdated all the way back to April 22.

Can you blame anyone for not wanting to enter into teaching … all they see and hear is those in the profession listing off the negatives and complaining all that time!!! That has a huge factor on building interest into the profession!

In regards to the holidays and working I’m sure you do have to do some work in the evenings and sometimes in your holidays.

Did you know many other professions have to do that as well and ONLY get maximum of 20 something days off per year to do it!!!

it’s almost like the majority of those that are teachers went to school, university and went to work in school and have no understanding of the real world.

What is this "real world" of which people speak, only to insist that teachers don't know what it is?
Do actual adults think we live in the stock room?

Just been looking at Guardian graduate jobs with my DS. Most of the jobs have at least 30 days holiday.

Most ECTs have left.

You think there’s a recruitment crisis because qualified teachers complain? 😂

It’s a tough gig, and there wouldn’t be a recruitment crisis if teaching was valued as a profession

The constant moaning is undoubtedly a factor in perception. It is a tough gig but lots of jobs are. It isn't the toughest job in the world believe it or not. And it is well paid with excellent pensions and time off. Before you mention working out of hours we all do it, you're not alone but others don't constantly mention it!

Recruitment issues aren't restricted to teaching BTW. It's a big world outside that teaching bubble you're in.

Or perhaps there is a recruitment and retention crisis and a critical shortage of teachers not because teachers moan about the job being tough, but because it is actually tough.

Even the government admit that there's a workload problem.

Recruitment issues aren't restricted to teaching BTW

And does that mean that parents shouldn't be worried that their kid doesn't have a teacher? No it doesn't.

Funnily enough loads of career changers from "the real world" also don't stick teaching because.....it's a hard gig

And loads of teachers are leaving for the mystical "real world" and never coming back.

Ergo, we have a crisis of teacher numbers

So that tells you what? That teaching isn't paid enough to deal with the workload and stresses.

So the stresses need relieving, or the pay needs increasing, or both. It's really not hard.

People want to blame teachers for everything.

The point is as well that classes of teachers who can't afford to do this for whatever reason do miss out, as well.

Did you miss my post where I described those who trained with me?

There are a lot of career changers who go straight back to industry because for whatever reason teaching doesn't work for them.

When I worked in industry, I worked in a lab, and pretty much couldn't take my work home with me.

Surveys also suggest teachers do more unpaid overtime than any other profession. Don't forget trips etc where teachers have to effectively be "on" for 24 hours a day!

I'm not suggesting people in other roles don't do unpaid overtime, but I have never come across a job outside teaching (mine, family, friends etc) where you would have annual leave, and the expectation be that you work pretty much every day of it, actually- this is often what happens in e.g. the May half term.

Are there likely to be more strikes?

The mandate for strike action lasts till July.

Apparently Gillian Keegan has been desperate for talks and to make us an offer and it was only the strikes stopping her from doing so. I expect she'll be meeting the unions and putting the offer on the table tomorrow....

And Bob will bring me the homework he owes me...

And all the kids will have pens! Including Bobette, who uses me as a walking talking pencil case.