Teachers could ‘seek employment elsewhere’

A SCHOOL principal has said that the Department of Education will “need to find the money from somewhere” if they want to keep teachers in the North from seeking better-paid employment elsewhere.

Peter Torney, of St Patrick’s Primary School in Newtownstewart, was speaking after SDLP Education Spokesperson Daniel McCrossan warned that a failure to award teachers a fair pay rise would drive them out of the North and, possibly, out of the profession.

The warnings came after it was confirmed that teachers in England were to receive a pay rise, funded by existing Westminster budgets, whereas their counterparts in the North would not receive an equivalent boost.

CRITICAL

Mr Torney was critical of this lack of movement on a pay raise for local teachers, commenting, “We haven’t had a pay rise here in the North for over three years which is bad enough but, when you factor in things like the ‘cost-of-living’ crisis we’re going through, it’s a severe hit to the finances. The differences in pay between ourselves and GB is crazy; they earn between 25 per-cent and 35 per-cent more across the water, and don’t get me started on what they earn across the border and abroad.

“These factors are sure to see more teachers leave the North for attractive offers elsewhere.

”Our substitute list is getting smaller and smaller because new teachers see abroad as a more attractive prospect.”

Mr Torney points to the recent GCSE and A Level results, which saw students here once again outperform their GB counterparts, as proof of the quality of teaching and asks why local educators are being treated so badly for the work they do.

“Why shouldn’t we get a pay raise which reflects the work we do, which is reflected in the exam results achieved by our students? Not to mention, teachers are increasingly asked to do more work for the same amount of pay; it’s outrageous. We’re not asking for special treatment, only equal treatment.”

‘SECOND-CLASS CITIZENS’

Moreover, Dorothy McGinley, President of the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation, has accused Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris of treating teachers in the North as second-class citizens.

She raged, “It’s like the Wild West for teachers; budgets are being slashed and teachers are still working the same long hours and Mr Heaton Harris has the cheek to say ‘there is no money’ ; it’s not good enough. This has been coming down the tracks for 18 months now, and they knew it, but done nothing. There will be a long-term effect on our recruitment and retention in the profession due to this lack of activity. Teachers have been making a broken system work for too long and they’ve had enough.”

Reflecting these views, West Tyrone MLA Mr McCrossan added, “The announcement that there will be no pay rise for teachers here this year is the latest bitter blow for our dedicated staff who have been fighting for years to have their pay and working conditions addressed.

“Teachers in the North are by far the lowest-paid on these islands and this increase will leave them lagging even further behind and highlights the unfairness that exists for staff here.”