Exclusive: Education secretary fighting for teachers to be given 6.5% pay rise, ITV News understands

There is a stalemate in government over teacher pay, ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana reports

Among the strike woes still facing the government, teachers remain a particularly difficult one for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

After all, another two days of action this week won't have gone unnoticed by parents who face severe disruption with each walk out.

Even where schools have tried to keep classes open to make sure children don't miss out on end-of-year activities, the anger remains raw.

I've seen messages from headteachers to parents stressing that even those coming into the classroom remain deeply unhappy about the government's position on pay.

The tensions currently revolve around a recommendation by the Schools Teacher Review Body to Ministers - which I've been told suggests a 6.5% pay increase for next year. That's enough (if properly funded) to probably end these strikes, according to union sources.

But the PM has hinted he might not be willing to go that far, because he's concerned about the inflationary impact. It's a position that the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, is also taking publicly.

But, I've heard from a few people that behind the scenes Ms Keegan is arguing fiercely for the recommendation to be accepted and for teachers to be paid the 6.5% increase.

She's also pushing for adequate funding to cover the jump (as heads and teachers worry about diverting resources from other parts of schooling).

In June, Rishi Sunak said he will make decisions over public sector pay that 'people may not like' in a bid to control inflation

The Department for Education would not confirm what sources have told me, but the department has been approached for comment.

My understanding is that Ms Keegan is taking this position internally - in conversations with the Treasury and Number 10 Downing Street.

Part of the difficulty Ms Keegan is facing, is that she and other ministers made clear when teachers rejected a £1,000 one-off payment for this year and a 4.5% pay increase next year, they would instead have to accept the pay review body process.

It would be, therefore, difficult to back down on that now - especially as the bodies were asked to take into account the economic context.

Mr Sunak's public comments have hinted he is prepared to offer public sector workers less than the amounts recommended if he feels it is necessary to prevent pay increases adding to inflationary pressures.

But I understand he is still considering the fate of teachers and that the situation is "on a knife edge" as to whether the recommendation is accepted.

If he doesn't accept, then one warning being made internally is that it could exacerbate industrial action in schools in the Autumn, with the possibility of other education unions - like the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) joining the National Education Union on the picket line.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...