Most people support performance-related pay for teachers, poll suggests

THE majority of the public believe that teachers’ pay should be linked to their performance in the classroom, a poll suggests.

A new survey has found that three fifths (61 per cent) of people think that schools should be allowed to set staff salaries based on the quality of their work. Just over one in four (28 per cent) agree that two teachers doing the same job, for the same length of time, should always get the same pay packet, regardless of how well they perform.

Teachers’ pay is currently being reformed by the Government, and from this autumn pay will begin to be linked to performance. The new survey, conducted by Populus, also asked around 1,723 people the most important factors in deciding teachers’ pay.

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Just over two in five (43 per cent) said that the most important factor should be the quality of their teaching, determined by an annual appraisal.

Around three in 10 (29 per cent) said it should be the quality of their teaching determined by their students’ exam results. Smaller proportions said pay should be based on length of service, the number of professional qualifications a teacher has or to ensure parity with other teachers.

Populus strategy director Rick Nye said: “These findings show strong public support for a move away from the automatic annual pay rises of the past towards performance related pay in schools.”

The survey also asked the public for their views on plans by two teaching unions to take strike action. The National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT have announced regional walkouts in October, followed by a one-day national strike later in the term, in an ongoing row over pay, pensions and working conditions.

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The poll found that 29 per cent support the unions’ plans for industrial action, while 36 per cent were against it. A further 34 per cent said teachers should be banned from striking because they provide an essential public service, like the police.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “The most important factor in a child’s education is the quality of teaching. That’s why it’s common sense to give schools the freedom to pay their best teachers more.”