NEU calls for action to make teaching pay equal for women

The National Education Union (NEU) is marking International Women’s Day and the TUC's Women's Pay Day by challenging the government to take action to make teaching a genuinely equal profession for women teachers.

According to the union, teaching is a predominantly female profession, yet women teachers suffer from the gender pay gap in addition to the burdens of unpaid overtime and the public sector pay cap.

The NEU also states that the average pay for all women teachers is £2,900 less than for their male counterparts (£37,700 compared to £40,660).

On average, women head teachers earn £5,700 less than their male counterparts, the union have said.

The gender pay gap among leadership teachers also varies according to age group. On average, women headteachers aged under 40 earn £5,400 less than their male counterparts, those in their 40s earn £7,700 less, those in their 50s earn £11,300 less and those aged 60 or over earn £13,500 less; this represents a 16 per cent pay gap.

A third of teachers absent for all or part of the 2016-17 school year due to pregnancy or maternity who were eligible for progression and knew their outcome, had been denied it. More than half (61 per cent) of such teachers said that they had been specifically told that they had been denied progression because of their absence.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The government statistics illustrate the gender pay gap in teaching.

“A survey of our members shows that performance related pay is exacerbating the gender pay gap in teaching. Women’s Pay Day highlights the long term injustice and impact of gender stereotyping and pay awards based on biased sexist assumptions.

“Our members will continue to challenge sexist stereotypes in the classroom; the National Education Union will challenge unlawful discrimination in pay decisions. It is time for the Government to step up and offer a fair deal for women teachers.”