STRB REPORT

9 April 2008

Commenting on today’s report of the School Teachers’ Review Body, Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said:

“In the face of a potential massive head teacher shortage, the worst way of highlighting the attractiveness of the head teacher role is to introduce greater performance related pay.

“If greater levels of performance related pay are introduced, school governing bodies and local authorities may feel they have invidious financial decisions to make. It is essential that, for all teachers in the school, renumeration is fair, objective and consistent.

“Head teachers, along with all teachers need guaranteed high levels of pay and reduced workload in order to make the role of head teacher attractive to classroom teachers who may be future leaders.

“The Government is right to be cautious about the Review Body’s proposals and I urge the Government to redouble its efforts to introduce fair pay for head teachers and to make the post more attractive”.