No new teacher-pay offer was forthcoming in the annual Budget announcement by finance secretary Derek Mackay this afternoon, despite speculation that a revised offer would be made.
Teachers recently rejected a pay offer of 3 per cent - which would ultimately amount to between a 5 per cent and 11 per cent rise for some teachers - but teaching unions are holding out for an across-the-board 10 per cent increase. That has led to the prospect of the first teacher-led national strikes since the 1980s.
The threat does not appear to have spurred the Scottish government into action, however, judging by its draft spending and tax plans for 2019-20.
A short statement in the 230-page Budget document is found on page 74: “We recognise that discussions on teachers’ pay are ongoing through the tripartite Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, and any additional allocation to fund a negotiated agreement will require to be agreed.”
The government has, however, highlighted, a “public sector pay deal that continues the journey of restoring pay levels and provides an above-inflation pay uplift of 3 per cent for those earning up to £36,500”.
The government also drew attention to ”£12 million of support for mental health provision in our schools”.
The shadow of Brexit hung over today’s proceedings, with Mr Mackay warning that, in the event of no deal being struck between the UK and the EU, Scotland “may be required to revisit the priorities in this Budget”.
Mr Mackay said there would be a real-terms increase in funding for education, and investment in skills and training, to “help ensure we deliver opportunity for all”. He added that the Budget “invests more than £180m to raise attainment in our schools”, provides more than £600m for colleges and has maintained investment of more than £1 billion for universities.
However, Scottish Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said: “Did the finance secretary not get the memo about education being his government’s top priority?”
Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the EIS teaching union, said: “The finance secretary has made great play of the Scottish government’s professed commitment to education, but has failed to demonstrate a willingness to address teacher concern over pay, or indeed the concerns of other local government workers - all of whom are still waiting for agreement on pay increases due last April.
“Our members have been more than patient with regards to their pay, but that patience is now exhausted. A failure to listen to the teaching profession will force teachers down the route of industrial action.”
Mr Flanagan also commented on a planned increase in investment for early years services, which he said was “welcome”.
However, he added that “in light of yesterday’s Teacher Census statistics, which highlighted an 11 per cent cut in the number of early years teachers over the past year, the irony of the announcement will not be lost on teachers, especially from a government which previously included in its manifesto a commitment to all nursery children having meaningful access to a qualified teacher”.
