Balls confirms teachers to get 2.3% pay rise

Teachers will get a 2.3% pay rise this year and next, Schools Secretary Ed Balls confirmed today.

In a written statement to Parliament, Mr Balls confirmed the rises which were first recommended as part of a three-year deal last January.

Despite constraints on public finances, Mr Balls said he intended to accept the salary recommendations of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) in full and the pay rise would come into effect from September this year.

The STRB report also recommended new financial incentives to improve the quality and number of maths teachers.

Mr Balls said: "Whilst there is some evidence that the measures we have taken to increase recruitment in shortage subjects such as mathematics and science are working, I would prefer to return to this recommendation once I have further evidence of their impact."

He said he would accept the STRB's recommendation to increase the minimum starting salary for inner London teachers by £1,000 to £26,000 from September 2009 and £27,000 in 2010.

The STRB also recommended reviewing equal pay and diversity within the profession.

Mr Balls said he agreed that regular data collection and analysis should be carried out to monitor the situation.

A new School Workforce Census was being developed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families "which will provide data on an annual basis about the individual characteristics, contract details and pay of school teachers," he said.

A consultation process, open until August 5, will be carried out on the STRB report's recommendations.

Other measures proposed in the document include using "existing recruitment and retention flexibilities" to tackle shortages of staff in priority subjects such as maths.

Mr Ball said: "Following an earlier consultation on how best to encourage increased use of existing pay flexibilities, there was no appetite for any action plans or guidance or other communications."

But, he added, the 2008 model pay policy stated that schools should consider using pay flexibilities to help recruit teachers of shortage subjects.

"I would like to invite consultees' view on whether other strategies might usefully be adopted," he told MPs.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers welcomed the announcement.

She said: "We are glad that common sense has prevailed and Ed Balls has accepted the STRB's view that teachers should get a 2.3% pay rise in 2009 and in 2010, as initially recommended in January 2008.

"We are pleased Ed Balls has honoured the pay commitment he made to ATL members at our annual conference in April, and not bowed to pressure to use teachers' pay as a political football.

"ATL will continue to fight for teachers to be rewarded fairly, not only during a recession but also when the economy picks up and graduates have a far greater choice of careers."