NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union is today calling on the political parties to commit to an ambitious programme aimed at securing a world-class education system backed up by significant investment in the teaching profession.

Our Manifesto For Teachers calls on a future government to recognise the realities of the deepening recruitment and retention crisis caused by the lack of pay restoration, spiralling workloads and long working hours, the pressures on schools and colleges, the loss of specialist provision and the real-terms funding cuts to school and college budgets.

The policy platform sets out the priorities for the profession and is designed raise the morale and status of teachers and headteachers, which we believe is essential to allow them to provide the best education and support to all children and young people.

We are calling on the parties to commit to a New Deal for Teachers in their manifestos which include:

Fully-funded real terms pay restoration;

The right for every child to be taught by a qualified teacher;

Statutory, contractual conditions of service for all teachers and headteachers including a maximum 35-hour working time limit;

A commitment to increase teacher numbers and improve teacher-pupil ratios;

Tackling violence and harassment by pupils and parents through strengthened legislation;

Banning fire and rehire practices by publicly funded schools and colleges;

Equal rights for supply teachers;

Access to affordable housing fo teachers who work in areas of high housing cost.

The NASUWT is calling on a future government to address the serious challenges facing the education system if it is to take forward a viable and effective programme for securing world-class educational opportunity for all.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “No government can claim to value teachers whilst presiding over a system that has seen teachers’ pay fall by more than 25% in real terms in the last decade and when there is mounting evidence of teachers being broken by excessive working hours and by the unsustainable demands placed on them.

“The status and morale of teachers and headteachers as members of a highly regarded and accordingly remunerated occupation need to be protected and enhanced.

“This is an ambitious programme for the Government, but NASUWT believes that such an agenda is essential to securing a world-class education system that allows all children and young people to flourish and succeed.

“We urge all parties to commit to pursuing this policy platform. Teachers are voters, too, and we ask all political parties to listen and respond to the priorities identified by the teaching profession.

“Our children’s education depends on securing a Better Deal for Teachers.”