The independent review body, which advises the Government on teachers’ pay, published a report on Wednesday calling for greater freedom for schools to set teachers’ pay.
The Government agreed with the STRB’s proposal that teachers’ pay progression should be linked to their performance and annual appraisals. This, the report says, already happens with more senior teachers.
Mandatory pay points within the pay scales for classroom teachers will be removed to allow individual pay decisions giving schools greater freedom on how much teachers are paid.
The overall framework of national pay scales will remain, despite suggestions that there should be regional pay levels.
The Government also accepted the STRB’s recommendation for local flexibility for schools to create posts paying salaries above the upper pay scale, which would enable some of the very best teachers to remain in the classroom.
The report took into account international evidence, as well as views from Government, employers and teacher and head teacher unions.
Dame Particia Hodgson, chair of the STRB, said, ‘We believe our recommendations will help schools to recruit, retain and reward the best teachers. It will give heads freedom to manage teachers’ pay according to pupil needs and local circumstances, within a fair national framework.’
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has welcomed key proposals by the STRB, saying that ‘a reasonable balance has been struck’ over the deregulation of pay.
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, said, ‘Progression on the basis of good performance is a sensible principle, if hard to implement, and is certainly the norm in most sectors.
‘The report highlights the need for high quality continuing professional development which the NAHT sees as essential for delivering a robust performance-related pay progression system.
‘The association is pleased that the disastrous proposals for regional pay are off the table. Attempting to pay teachers by their postcodes rather than for the quality of their work would have entrenched inequality in disadvantaged areas.’
But teachers’ unions have condemned the STRB’s proposals, describing them as ‘a disaster for children's education’ and saying that teachers will be appalled by them.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said, ‘With the profession under such continual attack and criticism, the mandatory national pay scales are one of the few things that have kept the profession attractive.
‘Removing incremental progression and linking pay ever closer to appraisal will anger teachers and undermine any confidence teachers had in appraisal. Individualised pay will lead to unfairness and injustice.
‘This decision comes in the same week as Government figures showing that the number of teachers leaving English state schools rose by almost a fifth in one year. It is children who will suffer when the profession is unable to recruit and retain teachers.’
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has also attacked the proposed changes. General secretary Dr Mary Bousted said, ‘This is likely to have a hugely detrimental impact on children's education with teachers in key subjects such as maths, physics and IT, who have highly marketable skills leaving teaching and graduates with these skills, and other sought-after skills, not going into teaching.
‘Hard-up schools will undoubtedly decide to deny pay rises to teachers, to help balance their budgets now they won't have to implement any pay recommendations. There is likely to be an escalation in tension and disputes within schools as heads use their new discretions to hold down salaries.’
Supporting the recommendations, Education Secretary Michael Gove said that they ‘will make teaching a more attractive career and a more rewarding job. They will give schools greater flexibility to respond to specific conditions and reward their best teachers.’
There will now be a consultation on the STRB’s report until 4 January 2013. Subject to statutory consultation, the Coalition Government intends to accept the key recommendations. The proposed changes to teachers’ pay rises are due to come into effect from September next year.
- More information STRB remit: 21st report - 2012
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/payandpensions/a00203870/strb-remit-21st-report