PAY CAMPAIGN RESPONSES: (updated 18 August 2007) page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Was shocked to see average wage in London is now £35,000 and house prices at an average of £350,000. Four years in university and five years teaching experience and I'm nowhere near earning that much and as for buying a house. Forget it! I'd be better off retraining in construction or driving a train! Don't really like whinging about money, but the government are taking the p***. Ain't it about time the NUT stopped barking and started biting? (Other professions seem to strike at far less provocation). Andrew, Hillingdon

I have been teaching for eight years after qualifying as a mature student. I initially thought the salary was competitive. My partner has recently left the mortgage industry to escape call centres and gone into the care sector. Much more rewarding but his starting salary is £13,900 for a 38 hour week. Last September I moved onto UPS 1 and was given a TLR 2 for Special Needs, plus three other responsibilities. My salary increased by £6,000 but with increased workload … a new head who expects a great deal from his SLT, and increases £120 increase in my mortgage, I feel no better off. Add increased childcare costs because I have to work longer hours, and I am back to square one. I feel like handing my TLRs back and returning to the classroom full-time. I feel undervalued. It’s the children that keep me in teaching. Tracy, Birmingham

I came into teaching in my thirties after working in industry, it is the most rewarding work I have ever done by a long way. I enjoy teaching science with a passion as well as the pastoral side of my job which is increasing with promotions. I’ve this year gone though threshold and am on UPS 1 from September. I married last year and my wife gave birth to our first child Leila on the first day of the holidays. Life couldn’t be much better except we have to rent a house because there is no way we can afford to buy in rural Suffolk, the rent is increasing by 10% per annum along with all other living costs, heating oil, petrol, insurance, etc. The real rate of inflation actually imposed on us is way in excess of 4.5%! This pay offer is derisory and we must fight for a decent pay increase other wise I and other dedicated teachers like me will be forced out of the profession and back into industry in order to provide for our families. J, Suffolk

I have just completed my second year in primary teaching and am considering leaving the profession. I could not afford to buy even a key-worker property in my area and high rental prices have left me struggling to pay off debts and student loans. I can just about afford to keep my car on the road in order to commute to my job. I'm never out of my overdraft and have just considered opting out of the pension scheme in order to pay it off. This feels even more upsetting when I consider the extra workload being put on me through my subject leadership and with pressure to meet SAT's targets. I am PSHE leader in a primary school, covering standard PSHE, School Council and Health Promoting Schools Coordinator. My friend is a secondary school teacher, recently promoted to PSHE subject leader with a £4,000 pay rise - she doesn't cover School Council or the Healthy Schools Initiative. What is going on in Primary? Julie, Cambridgeshire

I live in a 2 bedroom terrace (no garden) house with husband and our three children. Could only just about afford one week at seaside ( UK), had to have sandwiches each day, couldn’t even afford to get my children fish and chips or ice cream. I run a £800 car, never go out, buy clothes etc, but still am overdrawn. Can't understand why, when I work so hard. Not sure it's worth it any more. Heather, Leeds

As a young graduate I changed careers to train for and enter the teaching profession three years ago. I accepted that there would be an initial drop in salary but am more than disappointed to find that my current salary 'increases' are not keeping pace with the economy. I am currently on MS2 changing to MS3 in September and am nowhere near being in a position to buy my own house. My current salary covers my rent, bills, transport and student loans but leaves little over for anything else let alone saving for a deposit for a house, for which it would be nearly impossible to get a mortgage anyway based on my current salary. It is a truly worrying situation and one that I feel will drive good teachers away from the profession. Our salary does not in anyway reflect the effort and hours put in to what is a demanding and exhausting job. I love my job but am not sure how long I can afford to stay in it as it is affecting my quality of life and plans for the future. Tamsin

I feel that the government should play fair and give teachers and other public workers pay increases equal to inflation. I see it as stealth pay cuts. This implies that we are undervalued and will erode morale. Tristan

I am on an M6, reliant on threshold increase in order to keep our head above water. My partner and I live in rented accommodation, but as I am still paying off student loans, we seem to be going backwards every month. There is no way we could consider buying a property as prices are so high, largely due to the demand of 'second homes' in the SW and rocketing prices. I notice yet again, that key worker 'schemes' are not being made available for workers in the SW. It's no wonder so many of us are leaving the profession which we love. However there's little option for us here as the job opportunities are few and low wage rates high. This year I applied for an IVA as I met the criteria. Unfortunately as such agencies do not recognise student loans in the criteria, my partner and I have been left to struggle with no one being able to help us. My doctor has now diagnosed me with depression, largely due to stress of constant financial trauma and an unreasonable work-life balance. Clare, Cornwall

I agree with many of the comments here. NQT and relatively new teachers will be hit twice this year. Firstly by a pay increase of only 2.5% and then as well as rising living costs across the board is the news that the government is going to increase interest rates on student loans to 4.5% - in line with inflation! How are they able to justify and get away with this, using different inflation scales like this? Rob, Devon

I get depressed reading these messages from all these other teachers on the brink of a break down or leaving the profession and I dare say some will. I wish there was something we could do, but as long as this country has an overseas teacher to fill the void, where is the incentive for the government to do anything about it. Y, Hillingdon

I, too, came into teaching after working in industry for several years. I love my job and hoped I'd never return to the souless marketing job I left. Sadly, I'm now back there, freelancing throughout the summer holidays and term time evenings. I never get to spend time with my toddler. I barely speak to my husband. Our fixed rate ends in November and we face a massive increase in our mortgage payments. My old place of work are looking for a full-timer... Louise, Oxfordshire

My husband and I are both teachers and we can barely afford the petrol to get to work! The majority of our pathetic salary goes on mortgage and bills and more bills. Our friends (many who are not 'professionals') earn at least 2 if not 3 or 4 times our salaries and they also have yearly bonuses. We are terrified about renewing our mortgage in March....what with increasing interest rates. Like many other teachers...we don't have any choice but to leave teaching in the near future. Jennifer, West Sussex

It's ridiculous!!! I work all hours god sends and put all my energies into my job, and I feel as if I get nothing back. Each month I get more distressed when looking at my payslip, worrying about whether it's going to cover the bills and rent. It's difficult to enjoy the sweet luxuries my friends take for granted, (they earn a hell of lot more than me, and have their evenings and weekends free!!!!) let alone get on the property ladder. When are we finally going to be valued for what we do and paid an appropriate wage, with decent pay rises?? C, Redbridge

I have been doing a job that I love since finishing my training in 1995. Unfortunately, for my daughter, I had to return to full-time work when she was just 3 months old in order to survive and live in the high cost area that I do ( Reading). It is still proving difficult to make ends meet and will become more so with every year that goes by where I do not receive the pay increase that I (and all teachers) fully deserve. It's about time that the sacrifices in life that teachers make were properly recognised. I spend my life juggling work and family and for what reward? We don't just do it for the love of the job, we need to live!! Helen, Wokingham

I have just split up with my partner and we had to sell our house. I have a decent deposit but despite being a head of department I am going to struggle to get a mortgage on my own that I can afford to repay along with the basic bills. It looks likely that I will have to move well out of the city and suffer a long commute each day. With house prices sky rocketing how they can say we don't even deserve a cost of living rise is mad! Sam, Bristol

I'm 25 and I'm moving into M4 in September. Even with the Inner London pay, it's not enough. I just never have enough money - I fear I'm going to part of the "boom and bust" era. I tutor once a week and I'm going to start babysitting to help me. I've been selling as much stuff as I can but they'll come a time when I just don't have anything to sell. How can I fully focus on my teaching when I'm constantly worried about money? PAY US WHAT WE DESERVE! Claire, Merton

I am an older, single teacher who, this last year, has needed to work part-time (three and a half days) to visit and support an elderly parent. Due to five rises in interest rates I am struggling to pay my mortgage and find the money for essential repairs on a modestly-sized house in S.E. England. This is despite the fact that I am near the end of my mortgage. I support the NUT in its campaign. Hilary, Oxford

About to embark upon my third year of teaching, I have had to sublet my spare room in order to make ends meet and avoid moving back in with my family. There is no way I can afford to buy, I never make it out of my overdraft and don't see things improving very soon. I came into teaching with a good degree in Engineering but I am reconsidering that choice. Clearly teaching is not such a highly regarded career. LS, Cumbria

I cannot afford to move from my very small end of terrace house to accommodate my larger family. I am a headteacher of a 165 infant school, my wife is a carer for SEN children and our combined pay is too low to raise a larger mortgage. The only way is to apply for a key worker loan – even though I am a headteacher - this is madness!! JLF, Hampshire

I'm sure many teachers would opt for a change in career if given the opportunity, not simply for financial gain but so as to not have to endure the constant public scrutiny and social ridicule. The Government's refusal to honour the 'trigger mechanism' is proof positive as to how arrogant and out of touch politicians have become. RE, Wrexham

Unfortunately, as a very experienced older teacher, I am seen as expensive - my school appears to prefer overseas teachers and newly qualified teachers and I have had to hassle (with union backing and support, thankfully) to move up the upper pay scale. When I first started teaching in 1990, although I had 3 young children and nursery fees to pay, I feel I had relatively much more to spend. In real terms the pay scale has gone down seriously over the years, the workload has increased, older teachers are resented by budget planners and younger teachers and overseas teachers are seriously exploited. Mary, Lambeth

In what other profession do you work until 11pm, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, constantly retrain while on the job to keep up with new initiatives, meet targets and undergo observations and assessments which prove you are doing your job well in order to receive a pay CUT? I'm thinking of becoming an MP so that I can work part time, get paid more, retire early and award myself a whopping pension... J, Bristol

Yes, the pay rise is a slap in the face. I’m tired at the end of the term, like very many others, and will be trying to get back to normal despite this. It’s about time we were rewarded for the work we do. Janet, Essex

As a graduate I started off behind my non teaching peers and though I’m now on SLT and MPS6, my salary is 2/3 that of my friends. I love my job but the pay does not reflect my long hours, ever increasing workload and the supposed professional standing of being a teacher. It is survival as opposed to living. The Government needs to keep pay rises in line with inflation as a basic minimum and right. Gemma, Thurrock

Have just finished my second year teaching aged 40. Love teaching, hate the paperwork and long days of 10+ hours. Am seriously thinking about leaving the profession. What a shame about the wasted taxpayers’ money to train me and the comment from Ofsted that I am an outstanding teacher. Am thinking about becoming a tube driver, they earn more than teachers...oh well, another one bites the dust! Rosie, Hammersmith and Fulham

My take-home pay this year is just under £2000 per month. In September my essential out-goings were just under £2000 per month and I was surviving. Now, my mortgage has increased by over £200 per month so my essential outgoings are over £2000 per month. Financially, I can't survive much longer and soon my retirement savings will be gone. W H, Durham

I am on MS3, I am a single parent and I cannot afford a decent mortgage on my own. I am trying to save any spare money left over from bills to have a deposit. Suzanne, Coventry

Increasing property prices, mortgage rates, transport costs, and taxes means that inflation can hit low to middle income families much harder even than the official headline rate. It is totally inappropriate for the Government to allow the erosion of salaries within the public sector. It is time New Labour changed their name - how about "The New Conservatives"? Vince, Merton

Having come from industry into teaching, I naively thought teaching would not only become the challenge I was seeking but also allow me to spend time raising my family. However, now I am expecting our first child and will have to go back to work full time as we cannot survive if I go back part time. I have friends who dropped out of school and all 3 of them are earning much more than I am. Nicky, Birmingham