The English government and teaching unions are currently engaging in intensive negotiations to potentially reach a deal regarding teacher pay. These talks started on Friday between the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, and teaching union leaders. They are expected to carry on throughout the weekend, which indicates the government’s willingness to end the conflict. The National Education Union halted a damaging series of strikes for two weeks to allow the negotiations to occur and to put an end to the impasse with the Department for Education.
The parties involved in the talks, including the National Association of Head Teachers, the Association of School and College Leaders, and the NASUWT teachers union, have agreed not to disclose any progress via the media. They have released a joint statement agreeing that negotiations will focus on teachers’ pay, workload reduction, and working conditions.
The Department for Education declined to initiate negotiations while strikes were taking place. Still, the end of the NEU’s current round of industrial action provided a window of opportunity to start. Keegan has had separate discussions with senior officials from other unions, including the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders.
The negotiations will exclude representatives from college unions, which Association of Colleges CEO, David Hughes considers a massive mistake. Hughes deemed it necessary to focus on better pay for college lecturers. He believes that low payment is hindering colleges from providing adequate training and skills to the public because they are unable to recruit and retain teachers. Hughes stressed the need for the education secretary to join negotiations with colleges as an urgent matter of priority.
The governments of Scotland and Wales have had intensive talks with teaching unions in recent weeks. Scottish teachers have accepted a pay offer of 14.6% as of January. Meanwhile, NEU paused strikes in Wales to consider an offer of an immediate 3% pay increase and a fully funded 5% pay rise from September.
