§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will make a statement on her discussions held on Monday 13th March 1978 with the teachers' employers on the question of teachers salaries; and whether she will recommend a settlement of the teacher's salary claim on the same basis as that applied to the engineers and miners.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsFollowing representations to me by the local authority associations, negotiations on the primary and secondary teachers' pay claim were resumed in the Burnham Committee on Monday 20th March and again yesterday. The teachers were willing to negotiate within the Government's pay policy and agreement was reached on a settlement of this year's claim costing some 9.93 per cent. in new money and 0.07 per cent. in residual drift. Scales will be increased by 10 per cent., rounded down, with a further £312 a year for the small number of head teachers affected by the £8,500 cut off in 1975 and an extra £18 a year on the allowance for teachers in Scale 1 posts at special schools. Existing points scores may be used to introduce Scale 3 posts in Group V schools. Because there is to be no increase in the social priority schools allowance and the rounding of scales, the cost of these new measures is 9.93662W per cent. The proposal to go to arbitration has been withdrawn.
Difficulty was experienced in reaching agreement on the treatment of earnings drift. At the request of the local authority associations, my Department re-examined the changes in the average earnings of teachers that resulted from the grading and incremental system within the profession. On the basis of this examination, I concluded that changes relating to improvements in the quality of the teaching force could properly be excluded from the calculation of salary drift. These changes include the higher proportion of graduates in the profession, more senior posts in special schools and to support reorganisation and the reduced wastage of teachers. In addition, because of changes in the child population, a larger proportion of teachers is now employed in secondary schools with unavoidable consequences for the total salary bill. Finally, it is proper to take account of the consequences of the arrangements which are being introduced for early retirement for management reasons. On this basis, an offer of 9.93 per cent. was acceptable to the Government.
The teachers' panel attached great importance to the relativities established by the Hough ton Report in 1974. The local authority associations made a statement confirming their wholehearted commitment to the principles enunciated in the Houghton Report but stating that the speed with which a move was made in any particular year had to depend on the economic situation at the time. They agreed to establish a joint working party with the teachers to examine the movement of salary relativities with a view to reporting prior to the next negotiations. The Government representatives formally entered a reservation on any question of a forward commitment. The Government do not repudiate the Houghton Report relativities but their implementation must be subject to pay policy and the economic situation at the relevant time.
The teaching unions are going to commend the agreement to their conferences and I trust that the highly regrettable sanctions will be called off.
§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what percentages the retail price index and the 663W index of average earnings have risen since the implementation of the Houghton Report on Teachers Salaries in May 1974; and what have been the corresponding percentage rises in pay to teachers at the bottom of Scale 1, maximum of Scale 1, maximum of Scale 3, and maximum for heads at top of Group 14.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe percentage increase in the retail price index and the index of average earnings in the period between the date of the Houghton award—May 1974—and the date of the current settlement—April 1977—were 63.4 per cent. and 62.3 per cent. respectively. The corresponding percentage rises in primary and secondary teachers' pay were as follows:
Qualified teacher: Percent. Scale 1 minimum 60.8 Scale 1 maximum (non-graduate) 38.1 Scale 3 maximum 32.6 Head Teacher: Group 14 maximum 19.5