Michael Gove says he is at war with the teacher unions
In January 2012 he said that teachers are “happy with failure" and "enemies of promise”
We say Michael Gove is waging a war on teachers
What Gove has done so far:
• Pay freeze
• Attack on pensions
• Attack on performance management
• Forced academisation of schools
• And now – Attack on the national pay structure
What he may do in future:
• Attack on conditions - PPA time, protection from cover
NUT/YouGov survey on teacher morale (Jan 2013)
• 55% say morale is low or very low
• Up 13% since April 2012
• 77% disagree with school-based pay determination
“If anyone says to you that 'staff morale is at an all-time low', you know you are doing something right."
- Ofsted Chief Inspector Michael Wilshaw, Dec 2011
During the Coalition Government’s term of office:
• Pay freeze for 2011 and 2012
• 1% limits for 2013 and 2014
• Pension contributions up on average by 3.2%
Impact including inflation
• Over 15% loss of spending power
Can we afford to stay in teaching?
• End of mandatory pay scales - governing bodies decide if teachers will progress and by how much
• More PRP - all pay progression to be linked to appraisal and to individual teachers’ performance
• Draft 2013 STPCD already published - and will be in schools at start of next term
• Schools to adopt new pay policies and appraisal policies linked to pay for September 2013
• Decisions based on PRP for all teachers beginning in
September 2014
• Main scale & upper scale replaced by ranges - no fixed points, schools decide how much to pay
• Progression on all ranges based on performance
• Portability of pay points abolished
• Portability of UPS status abolished
• Tougher criteria for applying to upper scale
• Leading Practitioner range replaces ASTs/ETs
• New fixed term TLRs (“TLR3”)
1.
He wants to abolish fixed pay points on the pay scales – so no guarantee that you will progress by the same amount as now
2.
He wants PRP for all teachers – even though it doesn’t work in schools, and decisions will be based on funding or whether your face fits
3.
He wants to end Main Scale progression based on length of service – hitting recruitment and retention of new teachers by creating doubts about pay progression
4.
He wants even closer links for appraisal and pay – ending any chance of a process that supports your professional development
5.
He wants to change the threshold process – almost certainly to cut the number of teachers moving to the Upper Pay Scale
6.
He wants fixed-term responsibility payments worth less than now
– and maybe to review the whole TLR system
7.
He wants heads and governors to waste time negotiating pay with every teacher – not supporting teaching and learning
8.
He wants schools to be allowed to cut your pay when you move school – teachers will be scared to move and women on career breaks will be hit hardest of all
9.
He intends to limit our 2013 increase by only 1% – while inflation and increased pension contributions eat away at our purchasing power.
10. He has accepted the STRB’s view that this is only a first stage in reform – even bigger changes may be in store if we don’t stop this now
Think your head teacher won't want to take advantage by holding down your pay?
• Ofsted will be asked to make sure that they do
Think you will progress as fast or faster than now?
• Funding pressures or a change of manager could change that
Think you aren’t affected because you’re already at the top of the pay scale?
• Further changes could affect every one of us
STRB reviewing pay for September 2013
• Government pay limit - an average 1% increase - to apply
• STRB asked to advise on “adjustments to the salary scales … to reflect the average 1%” – no guarantee of any increase yet
School funding for 2013-14 already announced
• Zero cash increase per pupil in overall funding for schools
• “Minimum Funding Guarantee” – this allows individual schools to get up to 1.5% less per pupil after formula changes
• Pupil Premium up by 45% - only part protection against these real terms cuts in schools’ main budgets
NUT Executive will consider the NUT's strategy on 28
February
• NUT in discussions with NASUWT on joint action national strike action, extending the current ASOS, school by school action on pay
• National strike action - to demonstrate strength of opposition and get the proposals withdrawn
• School by school action - to ensure no change at school level while the national fight continues
Priority is to win the withdrawal of Gove's proposals through national action
But school by school strategy as well
• NUT model pay policy and checklist
• Focus on protecting existing pay scale points and pay progression entitlements
• Governors to be asked to implement NUT policy
• Action authorised in any school adopting a policy not compliant with NUT checklist
The Union can only act with the support of its members
• One day action on our own?
• A series of actions on our own?
• Action as above but if NASUWT were involved?
Most teachers reject Gove
• ASOS - protecting teachers but also showing that it is we not Gove who know the value of teaching
The public also rejects his views
• eBacc petition – almost 30,000 signatures helped force Gove to withdraw his proposals for the EBCs
We can see off this Government’s attacks on teachers and our education system!