Head Teachers To Vote On Revised Pay Offer

Tuesday, 17 October 2023 at 15:25

The headteachers union, the NAHT, has called off its strike action and will ballot its members on a revised pay offer.

The States Employment Board has offered school leaders the 7.9% pay lift for 2023 that has been offered to all other public sector workers such as nurses, doctors and civil servants. This will be backdated to January.

A one-off 'allowance' will be given to school leaders this year, worth around 2.5%.

The 'Education Reform Allowance' won't come from the States general salary pot, but from the Education Departments' budget and isn't salary- linked.

The SEB has also committed to doing a full review of headteacher's terms and conditions and offering 'additional support' by October 2024.

School leaders will get a second one-off payment from central funding if their workloads have not reduced by next November.

The Education Minister Deputy Inna Gardiner says that the role of school leaders has changed 'significantly'.

"Headteachers and their deputies are vital to the coproduction of the design and implementation of changes, and they provide significant expertise in this area. This will be for the benefit of the children and young people of the Island."

President of the NAHT union, Carl Howarth says they have reached a 'credible proposal' from the SEB.

"The focus of all school leaders is on providing high-quality education. The prolonged dispute, in which school leaders took strike action for the first time, is something we did not do lightly.

“The most significant change has been the recognition from the SEB about the time commitment, demands and change in the role of school leaders over recent years – and the need for our significant input into the Education Reform Programme.

We are pleased to have secured a commitment from the SEB to address these legacy issues within the next 12 months."

The news comes as the National Education Union holds its third strike of the year, closing the majority of schools for two days (17 & 18 Oct).