Schools will have to promote instructors and overseas-trained teachers up the pay scale faster, after the Government disregarded advice to give heads greater control over their payrolls.
The decision is good news for the nation’s 16,800 unqualified teachers. Their pay will climb to the maximum of pound;23,903 in six years, instead of the recommended 10.
The change is expected to cost the Government pound;3.3 million.
Ed Balls, the Children, Schools and Families Secretary, this week rejected advice on unqualified teachers from the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). It had suggested allowing heads to set a five-point pay range anywhere on the unqualified teachers’ scale, which climbs to pound;27,794 in inner-London. Both solutions would address concerns of the European Court of Justice that the longer 10-point pay scale discriminates against women who take years off to raise children.
The review body also said the term “unqualified teacher” should be replaced with “associate teacher” - a less demotivating title. But, again, Mr Balls rejected the advice, saying that there was no consensus on the issue.
The National Union of Teachers opposed the term on the grounds that it “blurs the distinction” between staff with qualified teacher status (QTS) and those without.
But the Association of School and College Leaders said: “The term ‘unqualified’ is not very felicitous or accurate because many of those on the scale are qualified ... but simply do not have QTS.”
