The education secretary has claimed teachers are “probably in the top 10 per cent of earners in some parts of the country”, and over-stated the average head’s salary by over £20,000.
Speaking to LBC this morning, Gillian Keegan also claimed teachers’ salaries were “a lot higher than the average salaries across the country”.
But that doesn’t fit with salary data published by the Department for Education. The latest school workforce data shows the average classroom teacher earned £39,000 in 2020-21.
Office for National Statistics data shows the average salary in all occupations was only slightly lower, at £38,131. The mean was used to calculate both figures.
Keegan was quizzed over teacher pay amid ballots for strike action by the National Education Union, NASUWT teachers’ union and NAHT school leaders’ union.
