PUBLIC SECTOR
Pay teachers according to performance, say MPs
The pay system for school teachers should reward those who “add the greatest value to pupil performance”, says the House of Commons Education Committee.
In a report published 1 May 2012, the MPs on the select committee highlight research showing that “even a year's exposure to a high-performing teacher has a lasting impact on pupils, building confidence, earnings and well-being later in life”.
But the MPs do admit that there are practical and political pitfalls to their proposals for performance pay: They comment: “We acknowledge the potential political and practical difficulties in introducing such a system, but the comparative impact of an outstanding teacher is so great that we believe such difficulties must be overcome.”
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The committee's report concludes a long inquiry looking at recruitment, training and retention of the best teachers. This set out to understand better the qualities found in “great teachers”, and to examine how such people might be “attracted more readily to the profession, trained as well as possible, and motivated to remain within the profession”.
MPs also propose radical reforms to the existing career structures for teachers and a new National Teacher Sabbatical Scholarship programme, whereby outstanding teachers can undertake a period of further research or employment in a related field to improve their practice.
DOCUMENT EXTRACT
Career structures
Page 4
We believe changes to the existing career structure, or lack of it, for teachers would have similarly positive results, and recommend that the government introduce new, formal and flexible career ladders for teachers, with different pathways for those who wish to remain as a classroom teacher or teaching specialist, linked to pay and conditions and professional development. International evidence has made clear the value of such paths, which will enable the profession to offer real structure and opportunities to progress, bringing teaching into line with other graduate professions.
Performance pay
Page 53
We further recommend that the Department [for Education] develop proposals (based on consultation and a close study of systems abroad) for a pay system which rewards those teachers who add the greatest value to pupil performance. We acknowledge the potential political and practical difficulties in introducing such a system, but the comparative impact of an outstanding teacher is so great that we believe such difficulties must be overcome.
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Title: “Great teachers: attracting, training and retaining the best”, Ninth Report of Session, 2010-12, House of Commons Education Committee, May 2012.
Availability: To download the report in PDF format visit www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/publications/.