For immediate release – 5^th May 2021

On Teacher Appreciation Week, Bell has highlighted the fact that 80,750 teachers across London are facing effective pay cuts due to the Government’s public sector pay freeze, with Labour Party analysis estimating that 1,073 teachers in Streatham will be impacted.

In March’s Budget, the Chancellor confirmed a ‘pay freeze’ for all public sector workers earning above £24,000 in 2021-22. Taking into account the impact of inflation over the next fiscal year, that means every non-NHS public sector worker earning over £18,000 will actually get a real-terms pay cut.

The Government has also pushed back its manifesto commitment to raise teachers’ starting salaries to £30,000 back another year to 2023, despite the advice of its own education tsar.

The effective cut to teachers’ pay comes amid a looming recruitment and retention crisis in the profession, with one survey showing as many as 1 in 3 teachers are considering leaving in the next five years.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Streatham said: 

“On Teacher Appreciation Week, I’d like to thank teachers and school staff in our area once again for their incredible effort and forbearance over the last year. 

“The Government has consistently failed to give our teachers the support they need during the pandemic. They are now making the already difficult task of getting education back on track even harder by expecting teachers to do more for less money.

“After a decade of pay cuts and unpopular changes, it’s no surprise many teachers are weighing up their position in the wake of the pandemic.

“It’s not just about the money either. A government that doesn’t value teachers, doesn’t value education or the opportunities it offers. The Tories have been devaluing teachers and devaluing education for too long.”

 Ends  
 
Notes: 

1. Labour estimates, based on DfE data – School Workforce in England table tool – Headcount of all teachers – Total state-funded schools:  https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8f05674e-0226-49e6-b918-fba7e99e5d5f (see table for London region below) 
2. The lowest teacher pay point is for unqualified teachers, with a minimum of £18,169. Therefore all 501,000 teachers in state-funded schools are expected to experience a freeze or below-inflation pay rise. Note that this only directly applies to Local Authority Maintained Schools, although in practice other state-funded schools such as academies are expected to follow national pay policy. 
3. DfE – School teachers’ pay and conditions document 2020 and guidance on school teachers’ pay and conditions: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/920904/2020_STPCD_FINAL_230920.pdf 
4. ‘One in three teachers plan to quit, says National Education Union survey’, The Guardian (8^th April 2021) 
5. ‘Accelerate’ £30k teacher starting salary pledge, says government’s recovery tsar’, Schools Week (22^nd April 2021)
6. Photo attached of Bell during recent visits to Iqra Primary School and Holy Trinity Primary.

For further information about this press release, please contact Ollie Collard, Communications Officer, Office of Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP at oliver.collard@parliament.uk.