Leading article: A lesson in selfishness

News in pictures
News in pictures
Opinion blogs

Circular firing squad at a crossroads

Politico has identified seven dreadful clichés of campaigning in and commenting on the Republican pr...

Reminders of Iraq

I was sorry to learn from Paul Waugh of the death of Brian Jones, the former Defence Intelligence Se...

Mervyn King is more than keeping up on Gilt purchases

The Bank of England is taking more UK government bonds out of the market each month than the Debt Ma...

Today, classrooms across the country that would normally be filled with the sound of pupils getting down to work after the Easter break will be oddly silent. This is because, for the first time in two decades, teachers have decided to withdraw their labour. The result is that almost a third of schools in England and Wales will close or partially close.

At the centre of this stand-off is pay. The National Union of Teachers feels that the Government's offer of a 2.45 per cent pay increase this year, to be followed by a 2.3 per cent rise in 2009 and 2010, is too low. On the other side, ministers are refusing to budge.

It is possible to have a degree of sympathy with NUT members. The cost of living does seem to be outstripping the Government's preferred inflation index. If one accepts the retail price index, rather than the consumer price index, as the true measure of inflation, teachers can indeed claim that they are being asked to accept a real terms pay cut.

But some context is necessary. For one thing, teachers have done well in pay terms over the past decade. Their average pay has increased by 19 per cent since 1997. The acting general secretary of the NUT, Christine Blower, has complained that teachers' pay is not attracting enough people to the profession. But thousands more teachers have been recruited since 1997, often encouraged by generous signing-on bonuses.

For another, teachers are by no means the only employees in this position. The public finances are much tighter now and the "pain" of the slowdown needs to be shared fairly across the public services. This particular pay offer was recommended by the independent School Teachers' Review Body. It ought to have been accepted by the NUT, as it has been by their colleagues in the other four teachers' unions.

Finally, there is the question of tactics. The withdrawal of labour is an utterly counter-productive way for the NUT to make its point. Rather than embarrassing ministers, a strike will only hurt pupils, particularly those revising for GCSEs and A-levels.

This is not the first time the teaching unions have seemed to put their own interests before those of pupils. The unions have consistently opposed efforts from the Government to reform the education system. Most conspicuously, they have opposed the establishment of city academies. This is not to excuse the Government's habitual and misguided attempts to micromanage the education system. But it does underline the point that education needs to be a joint effort by all parties to serve parents and pupils better. Too often, the teaching unions, in particular the NUT, have seemed to be pulling in the opposite direction.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Career Services

Day In a Page

How an abortion divided America

How an abortion divided America

Single mother who took a pill to end her pregnancy is now fighting a landmark prosecution in a conservative state
Can you master a language in a weekend?

Can you master a language in a weekend?

Ed Cooke insists he can use his techniques as a memory expert to help novices learn even the hardest tongues.
The 10 best heaters

The 10 best heaters

From the DeLonghi Retro Fan Heater to the Dimplex MicroFire
Coming soon to a shelf near you: The publishing industry has gone mad for film-style trailers

Coming soon to a shelf near you

The publishing industry has gone mad for film-style trailers
Mad, bad and delightful to know: How Lord Byron became a cultural superstar

How Lord Byron became a cultural superstar

As the poet takes centre stage in the West End, Boyd Tonkin looks into the life of the outspoken champion of the poor
Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...

Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...

New digital novel will overturn centuries of literary tradition by allowing readers to choose how they would like story to end
How to look good for less – Primark in copycat row

How to look good for less – Primark in copycat row

With London Fashion Week starting tomorrow, designers are closeted in studios putting finishing touches to their collections
James Lawton: Arsène and Arsenal are living in the past

James Lawton

Arsène and Arsenal are living in the past
How Docherty's resurgent Reds beat Dutch greats

How Docherty's resurgent Reds beat Dutch greats

United have met Ajax only once before in Europe, in 1976. The key performers recall an electric occasion
Civil war at Ajax

Civil war at Ajax

A rift between two club legends has torn the Dutch giants apart
Lewis Moody: For an idea of where England are headed, look at Wales now

Lewis Moody column

For an idea of where England are headed, look at Wales now
Geoff Toovey: Little gem with huge incentive to become king of the world

Geoff Toovey interview

Little gem with huge incentive to become king of the world
Picture preview: Portrait of London

Portrait of London

Picture preview
No secularism please, we're British

No secularism please, we're British

Arguments about the role of religion in national life have recently acquired a new urgency
Harold Tillman: 'Chinese tourists can save the high street – if we let them'

Harold Tillman interview

'Chinese tourists can save the high street – if we let them'