04 February 2000
By Maria McHale
Education leaders have warned the government that its standards agenda will suffer if councils are forced to fund in full the 3.3% teachers' pay rise announced this week.
Education Secretary David Blunkett announced the pay deal on February 1, with the details of the new and voluntary performance-related pay scale, which could see more capable teachers' salaries rising from about £23,400 to £30,000 by 2005.
Blunkett said the award would add £420m to the pay bill in England and Wales and would be affordable within the resources available to councils.
The Local Government Association's education chairman, Graham Lane, said the deal would leave councils with a £110m shortfall and would have knock-on effects on other education projects.
Describing the award as 'irresponsible', Lane said: 'Most authorities have budgeted for 2.5% and maybe could have scraped 3% out of it but there will be a funding gap in most authorities. The government standards agenda, which we share, will suffer because of this pay rise.'
The Department for Education and Employment said the government had allocated an extra £50m to ensure there are additional resources to meet the standards agenda and the basic pay rise.
However, Lane added: 'They should fund this rise fully because it is politics and not economics. If they left us to do it and not the pay review body we would not have this farce every year. This award is highly irresponsible.'
The pay award received a mixed reaction from the teaching unions. The NASUWT described the rise as 'inadequate' but above inflation.
On the performance pay threshold, general secretary Nigel de Gruchy said the criteria 'threatened to turn the whole process into a mountain of bureaucratic bull'.
But the Association of Teachers and Lecturers welcomed the deal. Describing it as realistic, general secretary Peter Smith said the performance pay plans have to be achievable. He added: 'No sensible teacher will want to boycott such a deal reflecting a clear government commitment to the profession.'
The pay reforms will take effect from September 2000 and will give teachers who gain promotion to the new upper pay range a guaranteed increase of £2,000.
Teachers who demonstrate 'substantial and sustained achievement' will also receive further pay rises.
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