Plans for teachers in Wales to get pay rise as way of boosting recruitment
Teachers in Wales could get a pay rise after the Education Minister announced new plans as a way of promoting the profession.
Under the proposals, starting salaries for new teachers will increase by 8.48% - which works out as more than £27,000. A 3.1% increase for teachers’ pay has also been suggested as part of the the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body.
The MS, Kirsty Williams, said: “These proposed changes will help enable the development of a distinct national system that is fairer and more transparent for all teachers in Wales.
“I would like to reemphasise our determination to promote teaching as a profession of choice for graduates and career changers.
“I believe these changes to pay and conditions will continue to attract high quality teachers to the profession in Wales.”
The proposals also include a 3.75% pay rise for teachers on the Main Pay Scale along with a 2.75% pay raise for head teachers, deputy and assistant heads, unqualified teachers and leading practitioners.
The union NAHT Cymru called the announcement "bittersweet" for school leaders throughout Wales.
Laura Doel, director of school leaders' union NAHT Cymru, said: "At last we can see that education is being taken seriously as a key public service, and this pay award will be a welcome departure from the below inflation increases of recent years. However, it does not appear that Welsh Government has chosen to fund the pay rise, meaning that schools will need to find the money from their existing budgets."
“With school budgets so tight every penny a school spends requires a choice: spend here, cut somewhere else. Schools should not be forced to choose between paying their staff properly and additional investment in children’s education and support."
"A summer of stress and difficult decisions is no reward after months of going above and beyond during the pandemic."
An eight week consultation with stakeholders will now begin, before the final pay deal is agreed.