Teachers in England face a pay crisis, threatening industrial action, as 83.4% of teachers indicate they would take strike action to secure a fully funded pay rise.
Teachers in England have expressed their willingness to strike over the government’s proposed 2.8% pay rise this year, with a staggering 83.4% of members indicating they would take industrial action to secure a fully funded, significantly higher pay award. The National Education Union (NEU), England’s largest teaching union, conducted an informal ballot to gauge teachers’ mood, and the results are concerning.
Teachers have been instrumental in shaping human knowledge and skills since ancient civilizations.
In Greece, philosophers like Socrates and Plato taught young minds about ethics and philosophy.
The concept of a teacher-student relationship has remained relatively unchanged throughout history.
However, teaching methods have evolved significantly with the introduction of new technologies and pedagogical approaches.
Today's teachers use digital tools to create engaging 'lesson plans' and assessments.
The government recommended a 2.8% pay rise for public sector workers, including teachers, at the end of last year. However, the NEU wants the government to fund the pay rise so that schools do not have to pay for it through existing budgets. The union argues that the current offer is insufficient to address the ‘crisis’ in recruiting new teachers and keeping them in the profession.
According to the National Education Association (NEA), the average teacher salary in the US is around $60,483 per year.
However, this number varies greatly depending on location, with teachers in urban areas earning significantly more than those in rural areas.
In fact, a report by the Economic Policy Institute found that teachers in major cities like New York and Los Angeles earn up to 30% more than their counterparts in smaller towns.
Additionally, teacher pay has not kept pace with inflation, with salaries decreasing by around 4% over the past decade.
Rob Owens, a science teacher at Dixons Croxteth Academy, stating, ‘There’s increasing demands on teachers now, more than there ever has been.‘ The remit of his job has widened since he entered the profession 20 years ago, and he is not alone in feeling this pressure.
NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said the government ‘must listen to our profession and change course on teacher pay’. He emphasized that the dire state of school funding requires investment in education to give the next generation the best chance possible in life. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action, and the union is urging caution.
Teachers have gone on strike over pay before, with a 5.5% pay award in 2024 being a significant improvement from an initial offer of just 2.8%. The NEU called off strikes after the government revised its offer, but the current proposal has left teachers feeling undervalued.
The outcome of the vote is uncertain, and it remains to be seen whether teachers will take industrial action over pay. However, one thing is clear: the teaching unions are not willing to accept a 2.8% pay rise without significant investment in education funding. The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools hang in the balance.
The government must listen to the concerns of teachers and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding. Investing in education is crucial for the next generation, and it is imperative that the government takes this issue seriously. The fate of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools depend on it.
Jack Worth, an education economist at the National Foundation for Educational Research, noted that the 2.8% offer seemed ‘too much for schools’ to cover from their budgets, but also ‘too little’ to make teacher pay competitive in the wider labour market.
If the government fails to address the concerns of teachers and unions, it may lead to further strikes and disruption to schools. Parents who have already had to juggle childcare with working from home will not be pleased if their children’s education is disrupted again. It is time for the government to take action and invest in education funding.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance for change, but it also highlights the need for realistic solutions. Teachers are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth fighting for. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must understand the concerns of teachers and unions. They are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The current proposal has left teachers feeling undervalued, and it is imperative that we recognize their sacrifices.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance to make a difference. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth fighting for. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding. Investing in education is crucial for the next generation, and it is imperative that we take this issue seriously. We urge the government to listen to the concerns of teachers and unions and to take a fair and competitive salary into account.

The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance for improvement, but it also highlights the need for realistic solutions. Teachers are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth investing in. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must understand the concerns of teachers and unions. They are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The current proposal has left teachers feeling undervalued, and it is imperative that we recognize their sacrifices.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance to make a difference. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth fighting for. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding. Investing in education is crucial for the next generation, and it is imperative that we take this issue seriously. We urge the government to listen to the concerns of teachers and unions and to take a fair and competitive salary into account.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance for improvement, but it also highlights the need for realistic solutions. Teachers are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth investing in. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must understand the concerns of teachers and unions. They are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The current proposal has left teachers feeling undervalued, and it is imperative that we recognize their sacrifices.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance to make a difference. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth fighting for. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding. Investing in education is crucial for the next generation, and it is imperative that we take this issue seriously. We urge the government to listen to the concerns of teachers and unions and to take a fair and competitive salary into account.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance for improvement, but it also highlights the need for realistic solutions. Teachers are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth investing in. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must understand the concerns of teachers and unions. They are not asking for special treatment; they want fair compensation that reflects their hard work and dedication. The current proposal has left teachers feeling undervalued, and it is imperative that we recognize their sacrifices.
The NEU‘s indicative ballot presents a chance to make a difference. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The government must listen to their concerns and take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding.
The future of teacher pay and the well-being of England’s schools is worth fighting for. Teachers are not just educators; they are the backbone of our education system, and it is imperative that we recognize their hard work and dedication. The outcome of the NEU‘s indicative ballot will determine whether teachers take industrial action over pay, but one thing is clear: the teaching unions will not back down until they get a fair deal.
The government must take action to address the ‘crisis’ in school funding. Investing in education is crucial for the next generation, and it is imperative that we take this issue seriously. We urge the government to listen to the concerns of teachers and unions and to take a fair and competitive salary into account.