In demand teachers should be on a higher pay grade

[Winterday1991]

Teachers who have high level degrees from good quality universities and teach in demand subjects such as maths, physics, chemistry etc should be paid at a rate equivalent to what their peers would earn in the private sector. For example starting salaries of £50k.

As I understand it, the current teacher pay scale means that drama, music teachers and low quality graduates are paid the same as high quality teachers. As teaching has low barrier to entry for graduates, and there is a shortage of teachers for certain subjects surely salaries should be treated as they would be in the private sector and paid the market rate. Why does the government not implement this to get more high quality graduates into teaching?

low quality graduates wow.

why would an english teacher whose workload is substantially higher than a maths teacher accept £20k leas pay?

Teachers of shortage subjects do get incentives. Eg a golden hello bonus at the end of first year.

I know a new teacher who has a first. She is an absolutely awful teacher despite being incredibly talented academically. Should she be paid more than someone who has a lesser degree but is better at the job?

There's a shortage for all secondary subjects at the moment bar PE, History and Classics.

How do you decide the relative value of each shortage subject?

Unfortunately having a degree from a 'good' University doesn't make you a better teacher. Often the very academic people find connecting with students hard. I'm sure in demand subjects often do get offered extra as an incentive when jobs are advertised.

So Drama and Music teachers are worth less? What about the ones who graduate from a high quality establishment? Or maybe the Arts jusy don’t count?
Goady as fuck.

Which they can run away with and never do a day of teaching in their lives

Well I’m a teacher on a chronic shortage subject and school offer me higher point on the pay scale, with higher TLR and recruitment and retention on top. So there is definitely capacity if the school has money to do so.
Teachers can negotiate their point on the scale, and added payments on top.

But that's only at the very start, most will stay to get that then leave

I'm a great teacher. I am experienced, get great results and parental feedback. Can I get paid more?

I have a higher level physics degree. I’m in a public sector job (that isn’t teaching) that requests a stem PhD at my band. We get paid around £30k. Not £50k.

People with very good maths and science degrees often make poor teachers as they understood it all first time, plus don't have the people skills / argument skills that other humanities and English grads have.

Why does the government not implement this to get more high quality graduates into teaching?
because this government doesnt want to pay teachers. The average salary in the uk is currently £33,402. The average salary for a post graduate educated teacher is £35,221.

Also any good maths teacher is already on a recruitment bonus, retention bonus and spurious tlr like second to key stage lead anyway tbh.

That’s not true.

The fact is that people with maths and science degrees do not go into teaching as they earn more in the private sector working in finance etc. How can the government incentivise these graduates to have a career in teaching when the salary is not competitive?

But their subject is in demand!

Primary teachers do all subjects, we should start on £100k.

It is a disgrace. I know secondary teachers and they say they say they have students wanting to do physics Alevel but they cannot offer them the course as they don't have the teachers.

That's what the bursaries are for. But many of them go to people who never step foot in the classroom post qualification.
I've trained and supported a lot of teachers. The "quality" of their degrees do not correlate with the quality of their teaching.

So we create a heirarchy of income for teachers so that the arts becomes the preserve of the wealthy yet again. Those low quality arts degrees that generate an industry that allow you to y’know watch film and television, read books, browse aesthetically pleasing internet sites, play computer games etc…. But teachers who get the future creatives through to higher education and beyond should be paid less than scientists because no one wants to teach that.

it’s just another way of concentrating those who can take part in creative education and industries to those who can afford it independently.

Oh yes, because a sanctimonious arse of a person with an outstanding degree from an amazing university that other lowly non important teachers can only aspire to be…. Always make the best teachers…. 🤬

They need to incentivise all teachers. They should pay teachers more, and pay schools more which would result in more support staff and other additional things that improve things for students and therefore teachers. Hence the stikes. Your arbitrary idea of what is a "good" degree is pointless and not helpful to anyone. My first isn't what makes me a good teacher. Training with more experienced teachers early in my career had a much bigger impact.

Stupid comment primary teaching is not equivalent to teaching chem, maths etc up to Alevel standard.