THE government was urged to boost teachers’ wages after a new report exposed a dramatic decline in real-terms pay and escalating workloads within the further education (FE) sector today.

A study by the National Foundation for Educational Research revealed that FE teacher pay had plummeted by 11 per cent in real terms in the decade to 2021/22. 

It found that FE teachers earned on average 23 per cent less than those who work elsewhere in the education sector, such as in specialised technical training. 

Engineering and Digital FE teachers earned about 11 per cent less than those in relevant industry occupations.  

Pay progression is limited, particularly as unqualified teachers were often recruited straight from industry to the top of the bands, interviewees said.

The report also found that FE teachers considered their workload to be excessive and “inappropriately centred” on unfulfilling administrative work. 

Those interviewed said that they were not adequately compensated for their level of responsibility and amount of work that they do. 

The report noted that this fed into poor retention and challenges around recruitment.

The pressure on new recruits combined with inadequate support contributes to a high turnover, it said.

Department for Education data shows that FE teachers are most likely to leave teaching in the first few years of their career.

The report recommended that the government increase funding to the FE sector and match pay to that of teachers in secondary schools.

It also recommended that it improve onboarding procedures to provide better support for new recruits, and called for an emphasis on data collection on workloads to devise a proper strategy to improve conditions. 

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Without proper investment in further education, including to close the outrageous pay gap between college staff and school teachers, Labour will fail to deliver its promised decade of national renewal.

“Colleges are the foundation stones of growth and innovation, essential to rapid decarbonisation and tackling structural inequalities. If further education continues to decline, so will Britain: Labour must invest.”

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “All teachers including those working in FE need to see significant additional investment in their pay to repair years of wilful damage under the Conservatives.

“Properly valuing, recruiting and retaining teachers is essential to protect our education service.”

“Now is the time for the new Labour government to make good on its manifesto pledge of a comprehensive strategy in FE, which would include the extension of binding collective bargaining on pay and working conditions to the sector. 

“It is the responsibility of the government to provide the requisite funding to close the pay gap between schools and colleges, ensuring that a crucial sector for economic growth can supply the skills needs of the future.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are investing around £600m in FE teachers across this financial year and the next, including retention payments for eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas, and funding to support English and maths GCSE resits.

“Decisions on funding for further education will be taken as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.”