Schools leaders on Isle of Man to vote on pay offer

Thu, 27 Jan 2022

School leaders will meet privately this evening to vote on a new pay offer.

Members of school leaders' union NAHT will vote on a new pay deal – the result of negotiations with the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) after the Westminster decision to freeze pay for teachers and leaders for another year in England.

Rob Kelsall, national secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "The failure of the Westminster government to provide an increase in teachers' pay for the forthcoming year is a slap in the face to those who have kept our schools open during the pandemic. We're pleased the Isle of Man government are taking a different approach, however the offer falls well below our original claim for investment into the profession and doesn't address the immediate and unprecedented workload demands that has been placed on teachers as a result of the ongoing global pandemic.

"With the historic legacy of underfunding of teachers pay, a growing recruitment crisis and spiralling inflation, it is clear that the department needs to seek additional investment from the Treasury. It is not sufficient for investment to have be found within the existing budget of DESC. As we emerge from the pandemic, Governments of all nations need to prioritise investment in education. Schools of today are a nation's economy of tomorrow.

"The future of the Isle of Man's economy lies with the quality of our education system and the level of investment in those who lead schools and teach our children. Education is an investment, not only in our children's life chances, but in the island's future."

 

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