A teacher union leader has reported a “surge” in requests for support from members facing redundancies, warning funding cuts will prompt more industrial action ballots in individual schools and trusts.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, also said his union would wait to see the government’s response to the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation before making a decision on whether to ballot its members for potential national strikes.
Schools Week revealed last week how schools are being urged to save up to £750,000 through redundancies, curriculum squeezes and cuts to programmes supporting the poorest pupils as the funding crisis escalates.
It comes after we also revealed last month that school budgets will rise by about 0.5 per cent per pupil next year, with leaders finding they will receive less than expected when their received their funding letters.
‘Serious concern’ raised with government
Speaking in a press briefing ahead of NASUWT’s conference later this month, Roach said the union had seen “an uptick, in fact, a bit of a surge, actually, in members coming for support around restructure and redundancy, so the threat to jobs”.
He said NASUWT had raised a “serious concern” about the issue with the education secretary Bridget Phillipson in December and in January.
“We warned the secretary of state of the prospect of industrial dispute within the sector unless the government was prepared to take action in this particular, particular regard.”
He said the situation was “not helped” by the government’s insistence that schools fund part of the proposed 2.8 per cent pay rise next year from their existing budgets.
“That did not help the situation. But we are seeing a rising number of restructures and redundancies. Many are being driven by financial pressures, schools’ financial pressures.”
It is “also being driven by demographic factors”, such as falling pupil numbers.
“So those two sets of issues, finance and demographics, are having a significant impact on the job security of teachers at a time when the government wants to recruit 6,500 more teachers.
“The government needs a plan to address some of this, because at the moment, schools are not being offered any alternative in many respects than to consider cutting their cloth in the context of the funding pressures that they’re under.”
Government ‘needs a plan’ to restore pay
It also emerged last week that the government has revised up its forecast of wage growth across the economy next year from 3 to 3.7 per cent, prompting warnings a 2.8 per cent pay rise for teachers would not be competitive.
The National Education Union is currently holding an indicative ballot on the proposal, which was made by the government in its evidence to the STRB. The STRB can make recommendations above what the government has put forward, but ministers can ignore it.
Asked by Schools Week if he envisaged NASUWT balloting if the pay offer stood at 2.8 per cent, Roach said “we’ll have to see what those recommendations are and how the government intends to respond.
“Our position is this very clearly, we want to see a above inflation payable for our members, for teachers for this year, and for that to be fully funded.
“But – we also make no bones about it – want to see real terms pay restoration for teachers. Because teachers’ pay has been seriously attacked over the course of the 14 years of the Conservative government.”
He said he expected “to see a government coming forward with a plan to address that…reasserting the competitiveness of teachers pay as against other graduate occupations”.
‘Omens aren’t good’ on Ofsted reform
Roach was also quizzed about Ofsted’s proposed reforms.
The inspectorate is consulting on plans to judge schools with five grades across up to 11 inspection areas.
The union leader, who is due to stand down this year, noted the consultation was ongoing “but the omens are not good”.
He complained of the “distance between Ofsted proposals and what I think the profession was expecting and what I believe was the intent at the time of a decision to undertake a review of the inspection framework”.
“It appears, certainly from the proposals that Ofsted has advanced so far that we’re going to see more inspection, not less inspection. And more doesn’t necessarily mean better.”
He added that if Ofsted and government “need more time to get this right, then they should not hesitate to take that extra time”.
Ofsted has repeatedly said its plans are not set in stone, amid fears about the short timeframe for reform.
Speaking to educators this week, Oliver said he hoped “you will also help us make these proposals that I’ve just outlined even better.
“There are some fantastic educators in this room, and many more who recognise the transformative power of education. So please take part in our consultation.”
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