The life-changing contribution of teachers is to be celebrated with a new campaign to align with UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is encouraging teachers, heads and school leaders to take part in the day’s celebrations by posting their own videos across social media about why they are #ProudToTeach.
World Teachers’ Day, to be held on Saturday 5 October, provides an occasion to take stock of teachers’ achievements, with this year’s theme focusing on ‘Young Teachers: The future of the Profession’.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
Teachers here in England, and around the world, have a truly life-changing impact on their students, acting as inspirational educators, role-models and mentors.
I will always have fond memories of the teachers who guided and encouraged me through my school life, and today I want to celebrate the same role that all teachers have in young people’s lives. And I want all those at the front of our classrooms, inspiring our young people, to feel valued in the profession and to use today’s celebration to mark the variety of reasons they are proud to teach.
Minister Gibb today met Peter Tabichi, winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2019. He donates 80% of his monthly income to help pupils from poor families in the Kenyan village where he works.
In the next academic year, school teachers and leaders are set to receive an above inflation pay rise, after the Education Secretary accepted all the recommendations from the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), to raise the upper and lower boundaries of all pay ranges by 2.75 per cent.
The increase in pay will be supported by an additional £105 million to be paid through the teachers’ pay grant, on top of the £321 million already committed for the 2019-20 financial year, and is equivalent to a £1,000 increase to average classroom teacher pay and a £1,620 increase in the average pay of school leaders.
Teachers’ starting salaries are also set to rise to £30,000 by 2022-23, under government plans for the biggest reform to teacher pay in a generation.
The move would make starting salaries for teachers among the most competitive in the graduate labour market, building on the above-inflation average pay increases for teachers in the last two years.
The Teacher’s Pension Scheme is also one of the most generous on offer. From September, the government will be fully funding increased contributions into the scheme, so that school leaders can focus as much of their resources as possible on the front line. It means teachers will get an employer contribution of 23.6% on top their salary towards their pension every year to ensure the scheme is fully funded.
Teachers can get involved with the campaign by posting videos to social media with the reasons they are #ProudToTeach.
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