We cannot sit back over pay

While Michael Gove claims he is giving autonomy to schools, much is actually being centralised. However, one area where national prescription was wholly appropriate is going in the opposite direction – teachers’ pay.

Many changes to the pay system have occurred over the years, but since 1920 it has been a national system with incremental progression. The secretary of state wants to abandon that for individual pay based on annual appraisal.

Those who understand pay systems know that performance-related pay is at best a mixed blessing. Those who understand education know that it cannot work for teachers. The government is trying to sell the idea that this is about “paying good teachers more”, but at a time when budgets are being cut “more” for one teacher will mean less for several others, and on the spurious basis of crude numerical targets.