Kingston teachers deserve better deal

5.3.03

MPs seek meeting with Schools Minister, fearing "classes could be sent home"

The Borough's two Liberal Democrat MPs, Edward Davey and Jenny Tonge, have demanded a meeting with Schools Minister, David Miliband MP, after the Government left Kingston teachers out of a new London salary weighting deal which gives more to teachers in other neighbouring Boroughs, such as Merton.

Working with Councillor Martin Blakebrough, the Borough's Executive Member for Education, the Liberal Democrat MPs want to make the case that Kingston schools already have recruitment and retention problems, and that by giving extra salary weightings to schools in directly adjacent boroughs, these problems could turn into a crisis.

Commenting on their concerns, Edward Davey MP said:

"When I speak to headteachers across Kingston, their number one problem is recruitment and retention. Yet Ministers are set to make that problem worse.

"Schools and the LEA have done wonders to survive up to now, but the truth is it has been by the skin of their teeth. Adverts get fewer applicants. New teachers are commuting from further and further away. Many come from abroad.

"Yet Ministers have looked at paper figures of teacher vacancies and concluded that Kingston does not have a problem and that therefore local teachers should not get an enhanced salary weighting. This is both unfair and perverse. With teachers in neighbouring boroughs like Merton set to get a salary boost, Kingston will inevitably lose out in the struggle for scarce qualified staff. That would be disastrous news for schools, parents and above all the children.

"I fear that if this is not tackled soon, next year we could see classes without teachers, and schools being forced to send pupils home. Let's hope it doesn't get that bad, but the risk is too great, so we have demanded this urgent ministerial meeting."