Government defends college teacher pay snub

DfE says decisions on FE funding and other workforces without a pay review body will be made at the multi-year spending review

DfE says decisions on FE funding and other workforces without a pay review body will be made at the multi-year spending review

13 Aug 2024, 10:43

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The government has blamed the “very challenging fiscal context” and the fact that FE does not have a pay review body for its decision to exclude college teachers from public sector pay awards.

On July 29th chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured) accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5 per cent pay rise for teachers.

To help fund this the government will hand out £1.2 billion in additional cash to schools, starting from September 1, and is equivalent to an increase of over £2,500 for the average teacher.

Despite positive signs from Department for Education insiders that ministers would also find extra cash to help fund pay rises for teachers in colleges, like the previous government did last year, officials confirmed that this announcement would not be extended to FE.

College leaders are especially angry because the government reclassified their institutions as public sector bodies in November 2022, imposing a series of strict controls around borrowing, governance and several other areas, similar to what schools have to abide by.

But, like the government’s refusal to exempt colleges from paying VAT despite now being classified as public sector bodies, officials have opted to also ignore colleges when it comes to public sector pay awards.

Association of Colleges deputy chief executive Julian Gravatt said the membership body had conversations with people in the DfE in the build-up to the pay decision that gave them “optimism”, but added it “looks like Treasury kyboshed any action on FE pay and funding”.

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) last year found college teachers have seen pay fall by 19 per cent in real terms over the last decade, compared to 14 per cent for their school counterparts. On top of being paid less, teachers in colleges were more likely to leave their jobs than other public sector professionals, with more experienced college teacher the most likely to quit. 

The DfE has now offered a justification for snubbing colleges from the school teacher pay award.

Wait for spending review for funding decisions

In response to enquiries from FE Week, the DfE explained that unlike in maintained schools, government does not set or recommend pay in further education and the sector does not have pay review body – independent panels that evidence and provide the government with advice each year on public sector pay. 

Instead, college leaders in England have autonomy to set the pay level of their staff, but their decisions are anchored on annual recommendations made by the AoC following negotiations with FE’s five trade unions.

However, this arrangement didn’t stop the previous government from pumping an extra £500 million into colleges in part to help fund teacher pay rises, as announced in July 2023.

The DfE told FE Week the department recognises there is a disparity in pay between schools and colleges – currently a gap of more than £9,000 – but “as the chancellor has set out, the fiscal context is very challenging”.

A spokesperson said decisions on “funding for further education, as with other workforces which do not have a pay review body, will be taken as part of the forthcoming multi-year spending review which will set out funding for 2025-26 and beyond”.

The DfE spokesperson added: “We recognise the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in their education, and to drive growth in our economy.”

Another kick in the teeth from last month’s announcement was that the £1.2 billion package includes an additional £97 million for school sixth forms delivering post-16 education (£63 million) and early years (£34 million) provision.

Gravatt, who has questioned why DfE used a pay review body to make cost-informed decisions on school funding but not colleges, said this extra funding for sixth forms was the point that “really niggles”.

In a message to AoC members he said: “In 2005, when Labour came into power, we secured a common 16 to 19 funding formula and a promise to close the funding gap, but two decades later and we’re still grappling with policies, processes and systems that privilege those who cater for just 38 per cent of the 16 to 18 age group. This is a deep-rooted issue that needs discussion.”

The AoC will recommence discussions with FE’s five trade unions in September over their pay recommendation for 2024/25.

But college leaders have warned they will not be able to reach a 5.5 per cent bump without more funding. Pay award proposals among several colleges FE Week spoke to range from 1.5 per cent to 3 per cent. 

‘A decline in FE educators will continue’

Writing for FE Week this month, Gravatt pointed out that when taken into context with the increase of 1.9 per cent in 16 to 18 funding for this coming academic year and competing pressures on budgets, there is a “real prospect of a lower pay award for college staff and a further widening of the pay gap between FE colleges with schools”.

A petition was launched last week by David Birnie, a lecturer at South Essex College, which calls for “collective action to urge the government to extend the 5.5 per cent pay increase awarded to teachers of further education staff”.

Birnie said: “Without action on pay and conditions, without respect for the FE sector, without understanding of the job we do, a decline in FE educators will continue. Many electricians, bricklayers, plumbers, plasterers, and IT technicians (to name but a few) can earn vastly more in the private sector than in FE and without those trades taught by competent FE teachers this country will struggle to grow.”

At the time of going to press, his petition on change.org had reached almost 4,000 signatories. 

However, unlike the parliament website which requires the government to respond to petitions that reach 10,000 signatures and leads to a potential debate in parliament if 100,000 are achieved, no such requirements are placed on petitions on change.org. 

The petition can be viewed here.

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