What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the rationale for the difference in pay between teaching assistants and teachers in schools in Wales?
Pay for school support staff, including teaching assistants, along with that for all other local government staff, is part of the wider pay and conditions negotiations for local authorities. These are negotiated directly between unions and local authorities in Wales and on an all-Wales and England basis by agreement through the National Joint Council (NJC). The Welsh Government has no role in these negotiations.
Pay for teachers in Wales is decided separately from that of other local government employees. Powers over teachers’ pay and conditions were devolved in 2018. Following consideration of a public consultation in 2019, Welsh Ministers decided that unlike most other public sector employees, teachers’ pay and conditions should remain statutory. An annual process was agreed involving a combined approach relying on advice and research provided by key stakeholders including teacher unions and employers, and independent expertise from the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body (IWPRB).
As part of their most recent report to Ministers, the IWPRB considered a wide variety of relevant issues including public sector pay in other sectors and teachers’ starting salaries compared with other graduate professions. The latest report can be found at independent-welsh-pay-review-body-fourth-report-2022.pdf (gov.wales). Such consideration helps provide a national system of pay and conditions for teachers, which is more transparent, impartial and fairer for all teachers wherever they teach.