OPINION - The Standard View: Lower salaries represent a false economy if we cannot recruit and retain enough teachers

Schools shut, learning disrupted and parents juggling work with childcare. The echoes of lockdown during today’s teachers’ strike are unmistakable.

But this is about pay. Most teachers in England received a five per cent pay rise last year, but unions point out that this represents a real-terms cut, given that inflation peaked at 11.1 per cent in October.

Teachers do an incredible job, often in highly challenging circumstances. And we need them. In the last decade, the overall number of qualified teachers in state schools has failed to keep pace with rising student numbers. The pupil to teacher ratio increased from 17.6 in 2010 to 18.5 in 2021. More acutely, many specialist subjects are now being taught by non-specialist teachers. This has been exacerbated by retention issues. The Government has recognised the problem, and has introduced some bursaries and scholarships to boost teacher-training figures.

But conditions matter too. The last TALIS international survey of teachers found that full-time primary school teachers in England reported working 52.1 hours a week — more than in any other participating country bar Japan.

Great teachers transform lives — indeed, high-quality learning is vital to Britain’s competitiveness in the 21st century. The Government is concerned about fiscal prudence, but lower salaries represent a false economy if we cannot recruit and retain enough teachers.

Elizabeth line rolls on

Less than a year ago, the Elizabeth line existed only in the anxieties of engineers and the anticipation of rail fans. Today, it is the busiest line in the country, having just welcomed its 100 millionth customer.

Its popularity is hardly surprising. Quick, spacious, reliable trains taking people places they want to go. It is set to get better, as by May the number of trains running per hour at peak times in the central zone is set to rise to 24, so passengers can expect one every two-and-a-half minutes.

There’s good news, too, for cash-strapped Transport for London, as more fares have driven income for the current financial year £50m higher than anticipated. TfL now expects it to break even on a day-to-day basis by the end of the next financial year.

As commissioner Andy Lord said, “If every major infrastructure project could manage that we would be doing a lot more of them.” The Government should take note.

Underrated January

It finally happened. It’s not January. Drink what you want, eat what you can find — February won’t judge you.

Of course, the first month of the year gets a bad rap. It may feel long but it serves a purpose. Indeed, early risers this morning enjoyed a bright, blue-sky start to the day thanks to January’s heavy lifting.

So if you’re out celebrating this evening, let’s hear it for the first month of the calendar year— raise a glass to January.”.