Education Minister welcomes further progress on teachers’ pay

Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed further progress on a pay settlement for teachers following Department of Finance approval of the pay award.

Last week all five of the recognised teachers’ unions (INTO, NAHT, NASUWT NEU, UTU) indicated acceptance of the teachers’ pay offer for 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24.

It is anticipated that the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC) will meet on Tuesday 9th April to formally ratify the agreement.

Education Minister Paul Givan said: “I am pleased that the Finance Minister has approved the teachers’ pay awards for 2021, 2022 and 2023. This settlement, once ratified after the Easter school break, will see the end to all industrial action by teachers and school leaders which has been ongoing since May 2022.”

The pay offer includes a rise in the starting salary for teachers in Northern Ireland to £30,000 and represents the equivalent of a cumulative total of 10.4% plus £1,000 consolidated increase being applied to the other teachers’ and leadership pay scales.

The Minister added: “I have made it clear from the outset that my highest priority is to ensure that the teaching profession is paid at a rate which recognises the value of the profession, and this is a very positive step in that direction.”

Notes to editors: 

1. The Northern Ireland Teaching Council (NITC) comprises the five main teaching unions - Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO), National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), National Education Union (NEU), Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU).

2. Management Side of TNC comprises representatives of all the education employing authorities, sectoral bodies and Department of Education (Education Authority, CCMS, GBA, CnaG, NICIE and DE).

3. The three year pay offer consists of:

• a consolidated increase of 1% for 2021 (in line with NI Public Sector Pay Policy limits)
• 5% for 2022
• 4.1% plus £1000 for 2023.
• The starting salary for teachers will rise to £30,000 from 1 September 2023, representing a 24.3% increase in teachers’ starting salary over the three-year period of this pay offer. This will mean that the starting salary for a teacher in Northern Ireland will equal that of the starting salary in England.

4. Follow us on Twitter @Education_ni

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