As an academic, I teach teachers. The promise of teacher education is that graduates will enter a challenging but meaningful job. Personal, professional and financial security should be the safe ground from which they can navigate this diffucult terrain.
But I see my students’ anxiety about the complex issues they are set to encounter in the classroom, as well as insufficient pay and funding. Qualified teachers are leaving in large numbers as they find the workload overwhelming, and the pay lagging behind inflation.
Disputes over pay have led to teachers striking – but workload has also been a contributing factor.
Now, the UK government plans to introduce minimum service levels (MSLs) for striking teachers. A consultation on the plan has been launched, with the aim of MSLs being in place for the next academic year.
