On July 5th, a significant number of British school teachers and members of the National Education Union (NEU) took part in a strike and organized rallies to express their dissatisfaction with their inadequate salaries within the education system. This marked the seventh instance since February where union-affiliated educators initiated nationwide strikes. The ongoing momentum behind these protests is evident as protesting UK school teachers plan for another widespread strike. The level of public support for these striking educators remains uncertain, adding intrigue to their motivations for this national strike. Furthermore, there is keen interest in learning more about Rishi Sunak’s government proposal to enhance UK teacher salaries through monetary increments.
Continuing teacher strikes in the fall.
The heads of the unions that advocate for UK teachers have issued a cautionary statement, indicating their intention to orchestrate synchronised strikes during the upcoming autumn academic term unless a consensus can be reached with government authorities regarding their rights. Numerous protesting UK teachers gathered for a demonstration near Westminster and the adjacent Parliament Square.
UK teachers are looking for a second job.
Amidst their involvement in the strike outside Regent High School in London, Daniel Kebede, the incoming general secretary of NEU, remarked that the escalating cost of living had compelled British educators to contemplate supplementary employment. He further emphasised, “I’m confident that if other education unions also consider strike mandates for the upcoming term, there will be synchronised efforts.” Notably, there exists public backing for the striking teachers across England.
UK teachers are planning a nationwide strike.
In the Parliament Square of Westminster, Kebede also advised the participating teachers during the strike to prepare themselves for a potential nationwide walkout. The education sector is poised to orchestrate a nationwide strike if the government fails to address the issue. The path ahead might be full of challenges, but it will be manageable. Our victory is foreseeable, grounded in the principle that justice is firmly on our side.
The closure of educational centres on the day of the national strike
Over half of the 22,000 educational centres in England were closed or partially open on the strike day. The UK government had previously proposed a £1,000 bonus for the current academic year and an average 4.5% pay rise next year, which protesters rejected and withdrew. While the inflation rate in this country has increased fivefold in the past year, the UK government called this proposal fair, but 98% of the British National Education Union members opposed it.
UK teachers want salaries higher than inflation.
UK teachers want a rise beyond the inflation rate, which has now reached 10.1%. According to statistics, the average salary of teachers in the UK was 38 thousand 982 pounds, in Wales 39 thousand 9 pounds and in Scotland 40 thousand 26 pounds for the academic year 2021/22. But taking into account the increase in the inflation rate, their salaries have decreased by 11%. Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, says schools are being disrupted “every day” by the financial crisis and teacher strikes.
British teachers continue to be dissatisfied with wages.
Employees of British educational institutions have initiated a strike. Coincidentally, the final exams for secondary school (GCSE) and pre-university (A-Level) students are just a few weeks away. The persistent discontent among teachers has consequently given rise to a critical educational predicament within the nation. A backdrop of economic stagnation, soaring inflation, energy shortages, and livelihood concerns have propelled the British populace, typically accustomed to prosperity, into a state of protest and deprivation.
A record-low public sector strike in February
In February, half a million public workers went on strike in a concerted and unprecedented action. In this protest movement, considered a big challenge for the conservative government of Rishi Sunak, teachers, university staff, train drivers, civil servants, and many other occupations stopped working to continue protesting the rampant increase in the cost of living and deep financial problems. The last history-making protest of public jobs dates back to 2011, when about 3 million people stopped working against the country’s pension system reforms.
Declining public trust in conservatives
Experts believe that the current movements can show the downward trend of public support for the conservative ruling party, and it is not unlikely that Sunak’s government will fall. A new prime minister will be installed by the end of this year. While Sunak has clearly stated that people should not expect the government to be the solution to all their problems; besides, the economic challenges will remain this year too.
Teachers leave their jobs due to financial problems.
The Mirror wrote an article referring to the widespread crisis in the UK school education sector: Schools face their “greatest crisis” as one in three new teachers quit the profession within five years of qualifying. Amid warnings that teachers are overworked and underpaid, government data shows that almost a quarter of people who qualified to teach in the country in the past five years have left the profession.
The unattractiveness of teaching jobs for British
The UK government is pressured to start talks with teachers’ unions to prevent them from going on strike. Department for Education figures show that 26,443 qualified teachers have left the profession in the last five years. Over 20,000 recruits join the work yearly, but one in eight leave within the first year. After three years, almost one in four has left the teaching profession.
Bankruptcy of the British education system
Our bankrupt education system is the biggest crisis. Teachers play a vital role in the discussion of education. Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “Teachers do not want to strike. They want to be doing what they do best – teaching and supporting their pupils. However, the disruption to children and young people’s education occurs daily due to the government’s running down of our education service. This cannot go on.”
Rishi Sunak’s negligence in raising the salaries of UK teachers
The reasons for the crisis in the British education system are clear, and the education ministers have been well aware of this for years. High workload, salaries less than the growth rate of inflation and excessive responsibility make the daily life of teachers easier. Rishi Sunak’s government should negotiate in good faith with education unions to ensure that children get the education they deserve and that teachers and education staff are paid fairly for their vital role.
