Publish STRB recommendations without delay, urge unions

Education union leaders have urged Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to publish the School Teachers’ Review Body’s (STRB) pay recommendations.

In a joint letter to Keegan, education union leaders said the Government’s refusal to properly negotiate with over pay risks dragging out the current dispute.

The NEU, alongside NASUWT, the NAHT school leaders’ union and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), are balloting members in England to take action in the autumn term.

The Government offered teachers a £1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5 per cent rise for staff next year.

This was rejected and the decision has been passed to the independent STRB.

The letter to Ms Keegan, signed by NAHT’s Paul Whiteman, NASUWT’s Patrick Roach, NEU’s Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, ASCL’s Geoff Barton and TUC’s Paul Nowak, said:

“There is no good reason for any delay in their publication.

“Further delay is leading to continuing anxiety across all schools and frustrating head teachers and school leaders’ ability to plan and manage already difficult budgets for the forthcoming school year.

“It is in everyone’s interest that the current dispute is brought to a swift resolution. The ball is firmly in government’s court.

“We urge you to publish the STRB recommendations without delay and engage immediately in meaningful negotiations with unions.”

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “We have made a fair and reasonable pay offer to teachers, recognising their incredible work and commitment.

“Thousands of schools received significant additional funding as part of the extra £2 billion of investment we are providing both this year and next.

“As a result, school funding will be at its highest level in history next year, as measured by the IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies).”