Stand Up For Educators
My response to concerns about ongoing strike action within our school
March 2023
Thank you for contacting me about teachers' strike action,
I am aware of the frustration felt by teachers over workload and pay, as well as difficulties with retention.
The Department of Education (DoE) recognises that there is more to do to ensure teaching remains an attractive, high status profession. It is a goal to recruit and retain teachers in key subjects.
The DoE is making £181 million available in bursaries and scholarships to attract trainee teachers in high priority subjects for the academic year 2023/24.
The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Independent Pay Review Body to provide the highest pay increases in 30 years, and teachers will see pay rises of 8.9% with new teachers seeing the highest uplift.
The highest ever real terms spending increase has been promised to schools.
After two years of classroom disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is has become extremely clear that regular close contact with experienced teachers is vital to children's education. Because of this, I cannot support the strikes.
Officials from the DoE continue to meet with the trade unions to try to end this disruption. The government's priority continues to be the continuity of children's education and the DoE has issued guidance to school leaders to help with the process.
Thank you once again for contacting me on this important subject.