Exclusive: A Hitchin teacher opens up on just why hard-pressed professionals are striking.

Read on for our special piece as a Hitchin teacher exclusively shares their thoughts with Nub News on why teachers are striking.

The Secret Teacher:

Schools across the country, including many in Hitchin have had to close classrooms today as the NEU stage the first of four planned days of industrial action.

All main teaching unions balloted their members with the same concerns – years of below inflation pay increases (including 0% last year) and significant underfunding. The NEU reached the thresholds needed and so their members are exercising the right to strike.  

Depending upon which statistics you use, teachers have seen their pay fall by around 13% (although some statistics report it is as much as 24%) in real terms since 2010 and this, coupled with the significant underfunding of schools and support services meaning increases in workload, has meant many teachers saying enough is enough.  

Teachers are leaving the profession in large numbers due to the demands being placed on them. Support for children from other professionals, including speech and language, educational psychologists is either non-existent or the waiting list is measured in years. In the meantime, teachers are having to pick up the pieces. 

Support staff are leaving to go and work at the local supermarket for more pay, better hours and significantly less stress.  

From a leadership (headteacher's) perspective whilst they have also seen significant, real term cuts to their pay (NAHT reporting up to 24%) since 2010, many would argue that their real concern and why they are standing in support of the teachers is that of funding. Funding for services in general and funding for staff salaries.  

The recent 5% uplift for teachers was unfunded. Couple this with the significant uplift in energy bills (in excess of 200%) headteachers are struggling to balance the books. Any further, unfunded pay rise could potentially put leaders in the position of having to make staff redundant just to pay the others their increases. An impossible position for heads with the likely loss being in support staff who provide invaluable support for teachers and pupils.  

Heads feel this is a vicious spiral which has to end. Whilst the NAHT didn't meet the threshold of 50% in their recent ballot, the votes that were received also overwhelmingly supported strike action and action short of strike.  

A concluding question would be, 'how serious in the government to rectify the issues within the education sector and support this key service?' Six secretaries of state since 2010 suggests not very.

The Secret Teacher

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