Michael Foster (Labour, Worcester) asked the Secretary of State to list the school teacher starting salary for the years 1979 to 1998 in a) cash terms and b) 1998 real values. The right-hand column of the figures is the more important, showing teachers’ starting salaries when adjusted for inflation. Teachers’ relative performance is shown by the second table, obtained from the House of Commons library, which charts the average growth in pay for all workers and non-manual employees.
Teachers’ starting salaries 1979-1998 (Pounds )
cash terms 1998 real values
(using GDP deflator)
April 1979 3,231 9,014
April 1980 3,972 9,366
April 1981 4,653 10,004
April 1982 4,932 9,899
April 1983 5,178 9,932
April 1984 5,442 9,939
April 1995 5,817 10,072
April 1986 6,423 10,795
Oct 1987 7,600 12,128
April 1988 7,920 11,846
April 1989 8,394 11,735
April 1990 9,000 11,650
April 1991 10,212 12,426
Dec 1991 10,404 12,659
April 1992 11,184 13,060
April 1993 11,244 12,759
April 1994 11,571 12,935
April 1995 11,883 12,926
April 1996 12,342 13,043
Dec 1996 12,462 13,170
April 1997 12,711 13,080
Dec 1997 12,873 13,246
April 1998 13,131 13,13
1 Dec 1998 13,362 13,362
Average gross weekly earnings for full-time employees (Pounds per week)
All occupations Non-manual
1979 242 242
1983 252 256
1990 330 365
1991 336 368
1992 345 379
1993 348 384
1994 353 389
1995 354 392
1996 360 399
1997 368 407
