Medway Labour and Co-operative Councillors are concerned that Medway schools will face a difficult choice between making cutbacks and funding much needed pay increases for teachers.

The government have announced that teachers in England will receive a pay rise, but the government will only fund 0.75 per cent – leaving schools to fund the remaining 2 per cent.

Cllr Clive Johnson, Labour and Co-operative Spokesperson for Children and Young People, said, ‘School leaders throughout Medway tell me that they are already struggling with their budgets.  We are seeing teachers and vital support staff losing their jobs, courses being cut and repairs and maintenance slashed.

‘Our school staff deserve a decent pay rise after years of Tory austerity but the Tories have decided that this pay rise will mainly have to be found from already pressed budgets.

‘Medway’s children deserve better and Medway Labour and Co-operative Group calls on the government to fund this pay increase in full.’

Cllr Pat Cooper, Labour and Co-operative member of Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee said, ‘Hardworking staff deserve a pay rise but it shouldn’t be at the expense of schools, who have seen a year on year decrease in real terms funding.

‘Schools face a choice between reducing school services even further to fund the pay increase, or losing good teachers as they move to other schools or out of the education sector entirely.’

More info: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/jul/22/schools-cutbacks-pay-rise-teachers-england