TEACHERS across Wales are to receive a pay rise, the education minister has revealed.

Jeremy Miles has released a statement outlining a 1.5 per cent pay rise for all teachers across the country.

The pay rise will be backdated to the start of September.

There has also been an announcement regarding funding for sixth form centres and further education.

"I am pleased to announce today there will be an uplift of pay to reward our highly skilled and hardworking teachers in Wales," he said.

"I announced on June 11 that subject to consultation with key stakeholders I agreed in principle to accept all of the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body’s recommendations for 2021/22."

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The recommendations include:

  • Introducing a pay award from September 1, 2021, to provide a 1.75 per cent increase to all pay scales and allowances.
  • Clarification and/or a review of policy in relation to certain existing terms and conditions.

Mr Miles said that he had considered the responses to the consultation and "can confirm that nothing new has emerged that warrants any significant reconsideration".

"Consequently, I will shortly make the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Order 2021 which gives effect to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document 2021," he said.

"It is the third year, since the devolution of powers over teachers’ pay and conditions, where we have been able to introduce changes to improve pay and conditions for teachers in Wales. I welcome the IWPRB’s contribution to this and I thank the members for their work."

Given the UK Government’s decision to freeze public sector pay, the Welsh Government did not receive any additional funding through the Barnett formula to provide for public sector wide pay awards in 2021-22, with the exception of the NHS and those on the lowest wages.

As well as the pay rise for teachers, Mr Miles said that, following discussions with local authority representatives and budget pressures as a result of the pandemic this financial year, the Welsh Government will provide a further £6.4 million towards supporting the cost of the pay award in schools and sixth forms this financial year.

"In announcing this, I recognise that negotiations between further education colleges and unions are ongoing," he said.

"The Welsh Government has a long-standing commitment to pay parity between teachers in school and lecturers in Further Education. Therefore, in addition to the funding already provided to the Further Education sector, we will also provide a further £1.5m towards supporting the cost of the pay award in Further Education Institutions this financial year."