Givan welcomes agreement on teachers’ pay
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed a decision by the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) to accept a 4% pay offer for teachers.
The pay settlement was agreed by the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC) and represents a further step forward in maintaining positive industrial relations between management and the teachers’ unions.
Welcoming the decision, Education Minister Paul Givan said:
“Extensive work has taken place to offer a pay increase which is in line with the increase received by teachers in England and Wales. I am pleased that the five trade unions which make up the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council have now formally accepted this on behalf of their members.
“The 4% pay settlement will see the starting salary for graduate teachers increasing to £32,916, with an experienced teacher at the top of the upper pay scale moving to £50,876. This brings teachers in Northern Ireland onto broadly comparable scales to their counterparts in England and Wales.
“Today’s pay award reflects the value that I place on those working in education, despite the severe financial issues facing education and the wider public sector in Northern Ireland. It firmly demonstrates my support for teachers and recognises the vital contribution they make to children’s life chances.”
The Minister concluded:
“In addition to recognising their value through the pay award, I also want to assure teachers that I will respond to the Independent Review on Teacher Workload within the coming weeks.”
Notes to editors:
1. The pay increase of 4% will cost c.£38.3m in 2025/26, with an annual recurring cost thereafter of £65.6m.
2. Following Executive approval of a Ministerial Direction from Paul Givan on 18 December 2025, Management Side of the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee submitted a formal offer to the Northern Ireland Teaching Council (NITC) on 6 January 2026.
3. The offer includes a 4% cost of living increase for teachers and a 4% increase in teaching and special needs allowances from 1 September 2025. More information is available at 2025/2026 Teachers' Pay Offer | Department of Education
4. The Education Minister established an independent panel to undertake the Review of Teacher Workload in May 2025, in line with the commitment given by the Minister as part of the teachers’ pay settlement for 2024/25. The Independent Review of Teacher Workload panel submitted their final report in November 2025
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