Plans to cut pay for new teachers?

Monday 06 June 2016

Pay for newly-qualified teachers could be cut as part of the package of cost-cutting measures due to be announced by the end of the month, says a union spokesman.

Although ministers have been keeping the content of the new Medium Term Financial Plan largely under wraps, local NUT President Robert Ward says that he has seen suggestions that cuts are being planned for new teachers, and to organisations including the Jersey Childcare Trust and family planning centre Brook Jersey.

Mr Ward said that teachers in Jersey had already seen cuts to pay in real terms – but that a new cut for newly-qualified teachers would be a step too far.

He said: “Eroding teachers’ pay and perhaps cutting the initial pay for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT), which is unlikely to ever catch up again, would be a very backwards step.

“It was suggested to me that they may be considering a cut to NQT pay, and cutting funding for things like the Jersey Childcare Trust and Brook, which I would say is a very narrow view.

“They may even be cutting the amount that they provide for on-Island university degrees, which is counter-intuitive if they are wanting to develop more opportunities for young people studying here in the Island.

“Any reduction in NQT pay would be very misguided. It’s not even something that we have been asked to enter into negotiation about.”

The new Medium Term Financial Plan, which is due to be published by the end of this month, will lay out plans for cuts and savings due to come into force by 2019.

Ministers have come up with plans for £70 million worth of savings to spending on staff, £20 million worth of efficiencies and £45 million in new charges to be levied on health and sewage to help balance the books.

But Mr Ward said that ministers were making decisions with potentially serious long-term implications to deal with the budget deficit.

He said: “It is a very negative approach to developing a decent education system here, and my worry is that decisions are being made here purely on money, and not what is good for schools and young people.

“It’s not being seen as an investment. It’s being seen as part of a deficit, and that seems like a bizarre way to view a profession.

“I think that we have been let down by the States Employment Board, who have a duty to support us as a profession. There is a huge amount of smoke and mirrors about funding for education.”