§ 12. Mrs. Joan Humble (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)What the increase in average pay for teachers has been since 1997. [121706]
§ The Minister for School Standards (Mr. David Miliband)The average salary for full-time regular teachers in the maintained schools sector in England and Wales rose from £22,900 in March 1997 to £27,200 in March 2001, the last year for which information is available. This represents an increase of 18.7 per cent. in cash terms, and 7 per cent. in real terms.
§ Mrs. HumbleI thank the Minister for that announcement. He will undoubtedly agree that that welcome increase has contributed to the large rise in the number of teachers an extra 25,000 or so since 1997. But will he reassure me that he will examine the work load agreement with teachers and use it, together with increased salaries, to help to recruit, and above all to retain, teachers?
§ Mr. MilibandMy hon. Friend makes a really important point. The Government said in their evidence to the School Teachers Review Body last year that outside London, teacher salaries were in our view competitive. Indeed, current recruitment rates bear that out: there are 4,000 more teachers this year than last year. The top priority for teachers in terms of recruitment and retention is work load, and the work load agreement that we have introduced—in conjunction with support staff unions, head teacher unions and the majority of teaching unions—represents a first and historic attempt genuinely to change teachers' working conditions over the next three years. I believe that that will happen, and that the agreement will have the impact on retention that my hon. Friend hopes for.
§ Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)Does the Minister realise that although the school achievement awards seem a good idea per se in order to reward teachers for good service and for having special skills, they create real difficulties for head teachers in meeting their budgets? In Staffordshire, which passes on 106 per cent. of the amount allocated to education by the Government, schools are having real difficulty in providing a fair and equitable distribution of awards to teachers. What steps can this Minister take to ensure that schools not only in Staffordshire but in other parts of England and Wales are not pressured in such a way that they are unable to pass on these awards?
§ Mr. MilibandIf I understood the hon. Gentleman's question correctly, there are two parts to it. First, he will be reassured to know that school achievement awards are funded centrally, so there is no question of the money coming out of schools' budgets. Secondly, there is clear guidance on how the money should be allocated between staff, and he is of course right to point out that it is for the whole school team, not just for teachers.