PAY CAMPAIGN RESPONSES: ( updated 26 June 2007) page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Spiralling energy prices, child care costs, interest rates. Why do the government think that we are such an easy target to have our standard of living lowered? - R, Leeds

Due to ever increasing costs a teacher’s salary stretches less every year. A teacher’s salary does not reflect a professional role. As professionals we have to do lots of extra work such as parents evening and marking which I feel is not reflected in our salary and goes unnoticed. Also we have to put up with unruly children and abuse (sometimes physical) and I don’t think MP's realise this. I also think there are fewer opportunities for teacher development in schools. - Garath, Nottinghamshire

I completed my NQT year last year and have since taken out a mortgage with my partner. With the recent increases in interest rates, we are only just coping with paying the interest back. With bills to pay on top of this, it could become a struggle to afford our house, which is pathetic considering we are both post graduates. The government is acting irresponsibly and unfairly towards teachers, expecting us to produce better results, but on effectively, less pay. - Ade, Plymouth

I retrained to be a primary teacher specialising in Science 3 years ago. I had previously worked as a Clinical Scientist in the NHS. I am now on my fourth short term contract. My wife, who is also a teacher, and I are sliding into debt. This will be the first year in my adult life when we are unable to take our children on a summer holiday. We are struggling to pay our mortgage. I went £10,000 in debt to retrain as a teacher. My family are really suffering because of my decision to retain to become a teacher. - K, Cardiff

For the first 7 years of teaching I worked every evening from 4 to 6 hours with only Friday off. I always worked every single weekend. I am now working on a 0.7 timetable but actually work at least 50 to 60 hours per week. How does that compare to the hourly rate for nurses and support staff? - J, Cumbria

Given the expectations and accountability that both the government and parents seem to place on both teachers and schools for educating children beyond just the academic, teachers pay does not reflect this - nor does it reflect the time and commitment put in outside of school! The whole system is unfair and unjust. The below inflation pay rise is an insult given that mortgage and rates costs have risen well above any cost of living increase. What incentive also is there for new teachers entering the profession? - Sharon, Cheshire

After 8 years of teaching I will be leaving asap. The hours and how they impact on my social and home life are near unbearable. I don't have any energy or time to anything else but my job. And it is not as if I get any thanks for it from the public, school, parents or children. I feel taken for granted and the below inflation pay rise just underlines that further. - L, Buckinghamshire

Following the almost un-publicised scandal of insidious demotion that was termed 're-organisation', when managerial points were replaced by [fewer] TLR teachers, I now face a drop in pay when my protected salary reverts in a year's time. This affects my pension entitlement. Why wasn't more done to protect the hundreds of teachers in my position at the time? - Jane, Hampshire

I have completely lost faith in government promises about education. I work extremely hard in a primary EBD school. My colleagues and I regularly receive physical injuries, some of which require hospital treatment. What thanks do we get from the government- none! It’s about time teachers’ pay reflected the hard work and dedication of its members. - Lin, Wirral

As a young person who has just entered into the profession I have found it very difficult to purchase my own property and look towards the future. I have many friends who have jobs in the trade, construction and industrial sectors who earn more money than I do even though they have not spent four years studying at university not to mention the financial implications of having to borrow through a student loan. - Gareth, Leicestershire

Shortage of Science teachers … exciting, rewarding career....Three years ago the government was advertising to encourage more professionals into teaching. Now we have a surfeit of trainees (scouting for their 1st jobs) and managers (milking the system). Qualified, experienced teaching staff are frequently driven out of their departments/schools, under the guise of teaching and learning 'reviews' by self-proclaimed experts … We spend nights and week-ends marking endless coursework, getting ready for inspections, after school activities etc. That makes a 7 day week (mostly unpaid). - Sarah, Nottingham

I came to teaching after working in the accounts industry as a graduate for a number of years. I thought teaching would be fun, exciting and reasonably well paid. It fulfils two of those things and definitely does not deliver in the third! (Can you guess which one?!). I got married last year and am looking to buy a house this year. With all the debt I am repaying and with saving for a deposit I find myself living on under £200 a month. This includes food, running a car and other general living costs. Not quite the lifestyle I had expected. - Kate, Stockport

I have been teaching for 14 years and have a BA (Hons) and a MEd, which I paid for myself. I am paid one teaching allowance point for the effort. Having put myself through the courses, I expect to be rewarded more than this. I would be in the business sector! - J, Tameside

I bought my first property last year, with generous help from my parents. I no longer can afford to live. I am building up debts on credit cards and going further into my overdraft … I have no money left to actually enjoy my social life. I thought if you worked hard then you could at least enjoy some free time but all I do is worry about money and have to stay in as I cannot afford to do anything else. - Laura, Torfaen

I can't believe the Government treats us so badly! And like idiots. Recent 'payrises' are an insult, making a decent standard of living a joke. It's a constant struggle to survive - especially when your wages are messed up whilst on maternity!!! - Louise, Southampton

Three years into my teaching career and still can't afford to buy a house. Why is it that my friends who work in other industries are earning thousands more than me? We are getting a poor deal here and something should be done about it. - Sarah, Flintshire

Each month when I get my pay cheque I know that my mortgage, direct debits and student loan will all go out of my account and I will have approx £100 to live on till the end of the month. How are young teachers like myself expected to survive on that when Tony Blair will be entitled a pension of £64,000 pa! How is that acceptable when I am forced to live in debt just to eat each month? Anon, Lancashire

I am paying my student loan at £150 a month on top of NI, pension tax etc. We have a huge mortgage because house prices have soared so much and council tax, utility bills etc all continue to rise at a level far outstripping my wage increases which in real terms are decreasing. We are expected to do more and more for less and less. Now I am pregnant and worried sick about how we will manage having to pay child care as well. - P, North Yorkshire

I have recently returned to teaching after working in local authority management (my choice). Because I was out of teaching when threshold payments were introduced, however, I am unable to move to an upper pay spine. So, despite over 20 years teaching as well as officer experience, I would consider my current salary peanuts! Teachers are not monkeys but extremely hard working, conscientious professional people who are not recognised as such! - J, Doncaster

I am worried that I may have to rent for the rest of my life. As a single, first time buyer I thought that I would be able to have a reasonable standard of living. The increase in house prices in London, however, is making that prospect unlikely. A rise in pay not in line with inflation is just not good enough. - M, Hillingdon

I am feeling completely let down. I am 40, just completing my NQT, have a husband, mortgage and three kids. I followed the government’s advert "use your head...teach" and left a reasonably well paid career in industry to follow my dream. Attended university and was told my loans would be paid by government because it was a shortage subject. However, after graduating and getting a job, the government stopped the repayment scheme. I won't get my golden welcome either. Well done Tony! With the pay awards I am receiving I can barely afford my bills and travel expenses. Seriously considering going back to industry. - Michele, South Gloucestershire

The pay/workload ratio doesn't equate and, with the National Diploma looming, there will be little time for extra curricular activities and my own life. The knock on effect will be the loss of quality teachers and quality teaching and learning. I have been teaching for four years and it is the most stressful thing I've done. I'm more than considering other options. - Paul, Wolverhampton

On average I work from 7:30am to 9:00 pm every day, all day Saturday and frequently most of my holidays. Average those hours out and my 17 year old son probably earns more than me! I don't do this job for the money and would rather have less teaching time and more preparation time, but it is disheartening sometimes to think how little reward teachers get for the commitment they give. - Pauline, Wiltshire

Having qualified late on in life in 2004 I have been unable to secure full time employment due to budget cuts in my area. I now have to juggle a mortgage etc with a supply teachers pay which, after deductions and no holiday pay, means I have had to do THREE jobs to survive. I have been left feeling undervalued and cheated. Now asking myself why did I come into teaching! - Lynn, Cheshire

The Houghton pay award in the 1970s reflected the workload, the job and the professional status of teachers at that time. Since then the workload has spiralled out of control, the pressures of the job now drive teachers to breakdowns and even suicide. Many are leaving the profession or considering doing so. The status of teachers in society is at an all time low. SALARY HAS DECLINED UNTIL TEACHERS CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO TEACH! Our NQTs also have massive debts to repay when they finish training. Older teachers need to take a stand because the young ones cannot afford to do so. - Pat, Doncaster

I am concerned about the low level of pay given to those new to the profession or without TLRs. Lots of us lost out with the new TLR system. New teachers carry heavy teaching loads, are often over-exploited because of newly minted enthusiasm. Many will burn out and some are already doing so. The Government needs to respect and honour the long term work that teachers do. - Tanya, Ealing

Last year I put my first step on the property ladder. My oldest child is going to sixth form college. I am a single parent and every penny counts. Things are extremely hard and I am finding the basic things difficult. Getting the money that is owed to me by the government is essential. I have no problem with taking strike action. It's a shame that all the different unions, who have been deceived by the government, have not planned to take action at the same time. - Andrea, Croydon

I am 27 and have been teaching for six years. I am still paying student loans and the idea of owning a house on my own is laughable! If I am struggling to provide a secure future for myself I see little hope when I start a family! Makes you wonder why you took on the debt incurred by university when six years later you’re still struggling to see the benefits. - Rhian, Hereford

Pay rises are lagging well behind the cost of living when factors such as fuel and house prices are taken into account. At the age of 32 my friends who graduated with me 10 years ago are already earning far more than I am in teaching. If the government is serious about retaining the best teachers then they need to put pay on a par with other professions. - Stephen, Stoke-on-Trent

I have recently found out that I am expecting a second child but do not know how my husband (also a head of department) and I will manage financially. If I go back to work after the birth, over half my salary will go in childcare but if I don't we certainly won't be able to pay the bills. Surely a teacher should be able to support a family as the sole bread-winner? After all, four years at university must count for something in the salary stakes. - Rachel, Gloucestershire

My most recent concern is about the poor maternity pay in teaching. My partner and I are both teachers and we have a typically high London mortgage. We were shocked that teachers only get one month full pay for maternity leave - are teachers not allowed to spend time with their own children?? - A, Southwark

The government uses inflation to set our pay rises, so the only reason for not instigating a review can be because they think that teachers are overpaid. When you add in house price inflation, how do the government think that we can survive? - Phil, Northamptonshire

I have five years worth of higher education, yet still had to start on MPS 1. I am only £200 a month better off than when I was a PGCE student last year. I have moved back in with my parents as I cannot afford a mortgage by myself, nor can I afford the ever increasing costs of renting a property. I have friends with fewer qualifications, some with only GCSEs, who earn the same or considerably more than me. It is unacceptable. - Helen, Liverpool

How dare the Government be intimidated by tube strikes! I work 11 hour days and at weekends, I did a degree, was in enormous debt, and I then had to pay to train to be a teacher. Now I can only just pay my mortgage. Tube drivers walk out of school and push buttons for a living. They get paid more than me! How is that justified? It disgusts me. - K, Ealing

Got great qualifications, studied really hard at university and became a dedicated teacher. Brilliant. Can I afford a house? No, I may as well have done nothing at university because I'm no better off. - M, Lancashire

A kick in the teeth once again. Council tax rises well above inflation and wage 'increases' below inflation. A double whammy. The message from the government is quite simply a contradiction: ‘Our priority is education but we will not honour our side of the bargain and teachers will be paid less to drive up standards’. That should solve the problem of recruiting and retaining high quality graduates. How about ‘Become a teacher and work for less money next year, and the next etc.’. Genius. - S, Northamptonshire

I have a first class degree in ICT, a shortage subject. I am so fed up of being undervalued. I'm seriously considering going back into Industry to get the financial rewards that others receive. Good teachers are leaving the profession daily and who can blame them? - Caroline, Northamptonshire

I have to live and work in inner London but being a relatively new teacher I can't afford to buy a home in London. The key worker scheme is a sham. I don't understand how it is really supposed to help first time buyers. I am resigned to the reality that I can't afford a home anymore but I at least deserve a good standard of living. When I started four years ago a one way bus fare to work used to be 70p and is now £1.50p. Seems like everything in the price index is eating away into my meagre monthly pay. - Jim, Tower Hamlets

I'm no better off in real terms than I was 15 years ago. - Judi, Leeds

Although I love my job I am becoming increasingly frustrated by how little we seem to be valued in terms of pay. Yes, I am aware that there are other professions who earn less than us, for instance nurses, who also do a very important job. I feel, however, that it is about time that the government recognised the work we do and made sure that our pay reflected it. - Sam, Dorset

This government has no respect whatsoever for teachers that is why they have offered us such a disgraceful rise. I think they are smug in the belief that we won't take any action to fight this. It is now time to show them that we mean business and fight for what we rightly deserve, a decent pay rise! - Catherine, Liverpool

My wife and I both teach and have been lucky enough to get on the property ladder. Our first child is due this September. We will have to consider if it is time to find a new career that can support ourselves and our family. At this time I’m only just paying the bills and putting food on the table. Any more interest rate rises and I’m afraid we will go under. My wife wants to raise our child, not have to continue working for us to survive. One teacher’s salary is not enough for a family plus mortgage, bills and living expenses!!! - Grant, Bexley

I would love to buy my own home but I can't afford it. House prices have increased and knocked me out of the running. The pay at the end of the month doesn't support the work we have to do. Expectations and pressures are increasing all the time. It is very disheartening and I agree with other comments that unions need to get tough. - Claire, Walsall

I have been teaching for some 23 years and feel as undervalued now as teachers did at the start of my career. - Sara, Barnet

I lived through the humiliation of losing our Houghton award in the late 1970s to other public sector bodies deemed to be more important than teachers. My pay has never picked up since then. Education was Tony Blair's winning mandate but what has happened since to teachers pay? Cut, cut, and cut. I am now poorer than I was in the 1980s in real terms. A teaching colleague of mine is 20 years younger than me and is earning just £5,000 less. How undervalued and underpaid is that???? - Sue, Wandsworth

I agree wholeheartedly with the campaign to increase teachers pay. Somewhere along the line we have missed out greatly and as professionals deserve better pay. It is ridiculous that young teachers cannot even afford to buy a home. I reluctantly joined a teaching agency last week. They offered me £80 per day. When I work for the council I get £146 per day. How can that be right? I have extensive experience - nursery through to year six, special needs experience, PPA cover, a range of leadership roles, full time and supply work - spread over 19 years and all for £80. What a bargain, for them! - Lesley, Cardiff

I have been teaching for 18 years. During the first few years I was happy with the increments. In the last ten years my salary has more or less stagnated. Compared with other graduate professionals, the gap gets wider and wider whilst the workload gets heavier and heavier. The increase in pay every year is just eaten up by the increase in council tax and transport costs. I feel as if I am running as fast as I can but other professionals are pulling further away. This is very demoralising. How long can we continue being undervalued? - Bhasker, Redbridge

Ever since I started teaching in 1985, with one exception, pay rises have never kept up with inflation and the workload has increased steadily. Every government has been a let down and not lived up to its promises - N, Bexley

I have two small children (2+5 years old) and live in a small three bedroom ex-council house which I was lucky enough to be able to buy with financial assistance from my parents. My wife would like to work part time, but childcare costs in the area are too high. I have been teaching for 4 years. I would love to be able to pay for my pension and even put a little into the mortgage, but after all the bills are paid, the car, petrol, food, etc we are literally living in the red. - Simon, Hertfordshire

The job is great and no two days are the same. However, the pay does not reflect the pressures and more importantly the responsibility placed on our shoulders. It is only for the fact my fiancee is a teacher as well that we can we afford to buy a house. There are no other professionals who are paid as poorly as teachers for the amount of hard work they do. - Peter, Salford

I am heading towards the end of my fourth year of teaching and despite promotion through TLRs I am still unable to even consider buying my own property. I cannot get a large enough mortgage on my salary to buy even a one bedroom flat. - H, South Gloucestershire

My cousin, a teacher who has just bought a small bedsit, is having to work as a cleaner in the Summer holidays to pay for her mortgage. Why should a professional woman who has studied and worked hard to carve out a decent and once respected career, have to get up at 4.30am on her day’s off to wipe toilet seats? - Dirk, Leicester

I have been in teaching for four years and have only just managed to get onto the property ladder because my husband is in a different line of work. Our mortgage takes most our salaries and it takes a lot to sort out the budget. With the workload and responsibilities it should be easier than this shouldn't it? I've always wanted to teach and enjoy working with the students but lately I have been thinking about other areas I could move into. - Claire, Isle of Wight

Yet again Labours promises are as hollow as their achievements are paper thin. - Graham, Doncaster

As I am now in Senior Management my pay is reasonable and I can support a mortgage and a family (just). I am very concerned, however, that in London we are losing brilliant young teachers because they can't get a foot on the housing ladder - even key worker housing in the East end is beyond their reach - and they certainly can't afford to bring up a family. Pay increases are vital. - Erika, Tower Hamlets

This has to be the lowest paid job which requires graduate status for entry. Yes other public sector workers are poorly paid and I feel sorry for them too. However, they don't have to have the added debts of a degree. - L, Derbyshire

As part of the SMT I have helped my current school to go from ‘special measures’ to ‘good’. I love my current job but due to my husband’s job I have to move. This time south where the price of a house is scary and sadly I am too old and too expensive to find a teaching job. Both my daughters wish to follow me in my chosen career but God help them when they have student loans to pay off, children of their own to feed and clothe and have to provide a roof over their heads. - Kate, Lincolnshire

The NUT campaign against "broken promises" is backed completely by the teachers where I work. We are very insulted at the suggestion that we have to sacrifice our pay so that more funding can be directed at students. To many this feels like an extra tax on us. Let's keep the campaign going. - Matthew, Birmingham

Teachers' rights within schools are eroded by 'initiatives' such as restructuring and workload is monumental. With our pay effectively being reduced by below-inflation awards, it not only affects us financially but also has an impact on our work/life balance. The added pressure of worrying about what we can afford affects our quality of life through not being able to enjoy family activities and 'luxuries' that inevitably cost more. Yet again, the government has been unforgivably short sighted in not seeing the detrimental and even devastating effects of its policies. - Glen , Kent

Many teachers families fall into the middle income bracket which has been hardest hit by taxation, rising utility bills and mortgage inflation. It is dispiriting that while we take on so many new initiatives that cut into non contact time, our pay is, in real terms, failing to keep pace with inflation. - Lorri, Northampton

At the end of the day we had an agreement with the Government on pay that if inflation remained at the same low level then our pay increase would remain the same. If inflation went above a certain level to protect us from the two year fixed pay deals a review would be triggered automatically which one would assume was to increase pay in line with the higher than expected inflation figures. This has not happened and the Government has broken its promise. - R, Blaenau

PAY CAMPAIGN RESPONSES: page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17