The NUS students’ union has thrown its weight behind efforts to get the government to help fund improved pay for FE teachers.

Last week, the Department for Education indicated that it would not fund a pay rise for college teachers and staff, despite promising to fund part of a pay rise for school teachers.

School teachers will get a pay rise of between 1.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent this year, with the DfE funding a portion of that increase.

College pay situation ‘is shameful’

NUS vice-president for FE Emily Chapman said the students’ union had consistently supported fair pay in further education.

“FE staff are the cornerstone of colleges across the country, and we will always speak up in calling for a fairer and better deal for students and staff,” she added.

“It is shameful that the government has delayed the rise in pay for college staff with no certainty given on when it will be awarded. With the cost of living ever increasing, this sends a damaging signal to staff that they are neither valued nor cared about within a sector that has faced detrimental cuts over the past few years.

“As representatives of students, we believe that investment into quality skills education is imperative, and a true lifelong learning strategy is the government’s focus. Cuts have hit the FE sector hard; it is time the government committed to well-funded and high-quality institutions.”

Gap in teacher pay ‘will get wider’

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said he was delighted that the NUS was backing college staff.

“NUS members know just how important colleges are and how far they help students transform their lives and get on in life and work,” he added. “Their first-hand stories about colleges will really hit home with politicians and policymakers, who want to see the impact that colleges have in every community.

“We want a whole range of organisations to work with us to highlight the vital role of colleges. It is sad that the government has failed to properly invest in colleges over the past decade, resulting in fewer teaching hours and less support for students at a time when employers are crying out for skilled people to recruit into their jobs.

“The underinvestment has also resulted in average teacher salaries of £30,000 in colleges, compared with £37,000 in schools. If proper funding is not forthcoming, that gap is likely to widen, making the recruitment and retention of staff even more difficult.”