Involving 4,536 teachers and school leaders working in state schools in England, the research finds continuing dissatisfaction about levels of pay.
The survey was undertaken in early November and found that that 56% of the respondents are “very” (28%) or “extremely” (28%) worried about their household bills and finances.
At the same time the survey, which has been carried out among NEU teacher and leadership members, finds that just 7% of the respondents feel their pay is fair.
Indeed, 85% said that they are underpaid given their skills, qualifications and workload (including 87% at primary level and 84% at secondary).
The findings come after the NEU and other education unions struck a deal with the Department for Education earlier this year over teacher pay.
The deal, which was forced after a sustained campaign of industrial action including strikes, saw a 6.5% pay rise agreed for 2023/24.
However, in publishing the findings of its survey, the NEU has highlighted how the cost of living has grown in relation to teachers’ pay since 2010.
Between September 2010 and September 2023, the cost of living as measured by the RPI rose by 68% according to the NEU analysis. Over the same period, pay for experienced teachers (outside London) rose by 27%.
Financial worries: The NEU survey found that only 5% of 4,536 teachers are not worried about their household bills. The above graph breaks down the findings by age and region (source: NEU).
General secretary Daniel Kebede said: "Since 2010 teachers’ pay has declined significantly, relative to other workers and in real terms against inflation.
“Pay levels do not properly value teachers. This creates major recruitment and retention problems. Teacher living standards have been hammered over a period of more than a decade. This is no way to value teachers.”
He added: “Teachers are right to feel undervalued, given their skills, professionalism and the level of responsibility they bear in educating children and young people. Teachers are understandably worried about their household bills, given that sky-high inflation in 2022 and 2023 has baked in significantly higher price levels.”
A further 39% of the respondents said they were “a little worried” about covering their bills, meaning only 5% of those in the survey are not worried at all about their household finances. The highest levels of concern over household finances were higher in London.
Mr Kebede continued: “We need an urgent, properly funded and major correction in teacher pay – not only to stop teachers worrying about how to pay their bills, but also to protect our education service by fixing the recruitment and retention crisis.
“This essential correction in pay is therefore in the interests not only of teachers themselves, but also of parents and children."