ASCL Cymru response on teachers’ pay announcement

Commenting on the Welsh government’s announcement on teachers’ pay, Tim Pratt, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said:

“We welcome the fact that the Welsh government intends to increase pay for newly qualified teachers by 5%, but we are disappointed that the award for every other teacher is just 2.75%.

“We called for 5% across the board in order to boost teacher recruitment and retention and tackle the erosion in the real value of teachers’ pay in recent years, and this is a long way short of that figure.

“The uplift for newly qualified teachers is clearly intended to boost recruitment, but the Welsh government must also understand the importance of retaining teachers in the profession, and this settlement does not do enough to address this issue.

“There is no mention in the minister for education’s statement about how this pay award will be funded, and we will be seeking urgent clarification. It is imperative that the cost should not fall on school budgets which are already under immense pressure, and that funding is provided to schools to cover the costs of implementing the pay award.”