TEACHERS EARN LESS NOW THAN 10YRS AGO

Report reveals 6% drop in salaries

TEACHERS in Scotland have seen their pay fall in the last decade, while their peers in many other countries have enjoyed wage rises, a study claims.

Baseline salaries for staff in Scottish schools were worth six per cent less in real terms in 2015 than in 2005, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s latest Education at a Glance report.

In England, the fall in wages was even worse at 12 per cent.

In comparison, there were average real-term pay rises across OECD countries of 10 per cent at pre-primary level, six per cent for primary teachers, six per cent at lower secondary and four per cent at upper secondary level.

The figures are based on gross wages according to official pay scales for teachers with typical qualifications and 15 years’ experience, less employer contributions to social security and pension.

The report took inflation into account but not additional allowances or bonuses.

The findings are likely to add to the debate about public sector pay rises after years of restraint.

The OECD’s report found that, as in most countries, the average pay of teachers in Scotland and England was lower than the wages of university-educated workers.

In Scotland, their salaries were equivalent to 82 per cent of the average earnings of full-time workers aged 25 to 64 with a higher education qualification.

The starting salary of a new primary teacher was £20,830 in Scotland and £20,980 in England. The average in OECD countries was £23,403.

Meanwhile, the baseline salary before tax of a secondary school teacher with 10 years’ experience was £33,233 in Scotland and £33,216 in England. That was higher than the £31,732 average but lower than the salaries in 12 other countries.

The report showed that among OECD nations, the UK spent the highest proportion of GDP on education from primary to university level at 6.6 per cent, compared with the average of 5.2 per cent.