23 March 2001
LGA head of education Neil Fletcher said money spent on hiring supply teachers could be redirected to fund additional payments to existing staff. Under the proposals, teachers could be paid up to £20 per hour for taking extra classes or could be entitled to claim back time off in lieu.
'There would be no additional cost and we are clear that this would not be a growth item,' he told Public Finance. 'The losers in this would be the agencies who make very large sums of money from providing supply teachers.'
The LGA unveiled the plan on March 20 in a bid to end the growing campaign of industrial action by teachers, who say recruitment shortages are forcing them to cope with excessive workloads. Staff in 11 areas across England have now voted to refuse to cover for absent colleagues, and other ballots are already under way.
One school, Holywells High in Ipswich, has had to send some children home because of staff shortages.
Fletcher said the LGA wanted to negotiate a new framework with teachers on providing cover, rather than find a short-term solution to the current dispute, but said any agreement would have to be approved by Education Secretary David Blunkett.
His comments came as a meeting of the National Association of Schoolmasters/ Union of Women Teachers executive on March 21 agreed to suspend its industrial action and start talks with LGA representatives.
Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of the NASUWT, described the LGA's proposals as a 'sensible reaction' worthy of 'further consideration'. He also welcomed comments from Blunkett on March 20 suggesting that, if the industrial action ended, he would be willing to agree to the School Teachers Review Body's recommendation for an independent study into teachers' workloads.
'It is so much more positive for the government to respond in this fashion, rather than inciting employers to make excessive pay deductions against teachers and to sue them as individuals for damages,' he said.
The executive of the National Union of Teachers was due to meet on March 22 and was expected to reach a similar decision.
PFmar2001
