Though Cowards Flinch

I had to laugh when I read about the proposed 2.45% pay rise proposed for teachers, breaking Mr. Brown’s declarations about the apocalyptic effects of any pay rise for any part of the public sector beyond 2%. If this isn’t classic divide and rule then I don’t know what it. I laughed even harder when the Association of Head Teachers came out in support of the deal too. Under the previous deal, head teachers were already being allocated different structural benefits which have been achieved for them but still haven’t been achieved for the average teachers. No doubt there’ll be some way head teachers come out on top in this deal too.

Despite all the cynicism though, I was pleased to see that the starting salary for M1 on the pay spine in London has finally exceeded £25,000 – about time. It should be pointed out that this should be extended to other areas of high cost of living also. Most of the south east suffers prices hardly different from London.

The whole charade does show the weakness of the government at the moment, buffeted by the monumental incompetence of pretty much the entire cabinet. Some of the unions like the NUT had stuck to their guns and voted for a strike in the event of a 2% pay deal. That would effectively have formed the starter gun for a bunch of the other public sector unions I think.

Another major issue in teaching at the moment concerns the proposal to extend the school leaving age to 18. That seems to me to be a natural progression but the reaction in staff rooms at school have been mixed. Young people will be earning qualifications – not academic necessarily and some of which will involve on the job training and payment as an apprentice. What’s not to like?