01 June 2007
Trade unions have hailed as 'long overdue' the government's announcement that it is to draw up a consistent pay and conditions framework for the support staff working in England's schools.
Education Secretary Alan Johnson has instructed the support staff working group to take forward plans to examine a new pay structure. The group, which comprises the support staff unions and is chaired by the Department for Education and Skills, has been exploring various models.
The issues initially examined by the group include trade union recognition; contracts of employment; job descriptions; and continuous professional development.
Speaking on May 24, Johnson said: 'I look forward to hearing back [from the working group] on the possibility of setting up a new negotiating body to look at how we can better align pay and conditions for local government employees.'
Union leaders said a national pay structure would bring consistency and fairness to teaching assistants, school secretaries and others in support roles, which would recognise their growing importance in schools.
Christina McAnea, Unison's national education secretary, said the decision was a major step forward.
'Many school workers' pay does not in any way reflect the job they do and is determined almost at the whim of the head teacher. Surveys show that they do more unpaid overtime than any other group in local government,' she said.
The Association of School and College Leaders agreed that a national pay structure for support staff was long overdue. General secretary John Dunford said: 'In more and more schools, senior support staff are taking on central roles in leadership and management, freeing other leaders to focus on teaching and learning.'
The intention is that any national structure for school support staff will operate outside the National Joint Council framework, which currently governs pay and conditions for local government employees.
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