3rd February 2024
NORTHERN IRELAND TEACHERS’ COUNCIL
03 February 2024
PRESS RELEASE
NITC welcomes the reestablishment of the Stormont Executive
The Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council welcomes the re-establishment of the Stormont Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly this afternoon.
NITC congratulates Paul Givan on their appointment as Education Minister at this critical time for the future of the children and young people in Northern Ireland.
We call on Mr Givan to hit the ground running and to prioritise meeting with the leaders of the Teacher unions, to hear first-hand the challenges that the Education system faces from those charged with delivering the world class education system the children and young people here so richly deserve.
School leaders and teachers have for too long made the broken school system work, in an attempt to ensure the pupils in their care will have the best possible life chances. They have carried out this while simultaneously experiencing year on year devaluation of their salaries. Their value to society must be recognised and rewarded with remuneration that truly reflects their contribution and recognises their professionalism.
NITC will not be found wanting in the challenges ahead. While we remain ready to engage with the Minister and his officials to find a just and proper resolution on teachers’ pay, we will not hesitate to, once again, escalate our action should such a resolution not be found in the coming weeks.
Jacquie White, General Secretary of UTU, said:
Our members are heartened by the developments of recent days, and the efforts they have made to help bring events to this point must be commended. However, the optimism that they feel must now be followed up by a swift and speedy resolution to the pay issues if further action is to be avoided.
It must also be remembered that pay is not the only issue of concern. It is vital that priority is given by the new Education Minister to stabilising and investing in our schools and the wider education system as a whole to ensure that all of our children receive the educational experience that they deserve.
Justin McCamphill NASUWT, National Official for Northern Ireland, said:
Teachers should be proud that their actions together with the rest of the public sector have helped to restore the Executive and while there will be a honeymoon period for the Executive it will be sort-lived if pay isn’t addressed in the first days of the new administration.
In the medium to longer term we expect the Executive to work together to build an education system which delivers for all young people and in particular deals with the crisis in special education.
Mark McTaggart, INTO Northern Secretary stated:
I commend the thousands of teachers and public sector workers who have stood up for themselves and their professions in recent months. They showed incredible solidarity in their determination to secure a just settlement to the public sector pay disputes and their actions have contributed immensely to the end to the political stalemate at Stormont.
While we welcome the appointment, It is now vital that the new Education Minister moves swiftly to find a just settlement of teachers three year pay dispute, and to work together with the Teacher unions and other stakeholders to build the education system that our children and young people deserve, a system that is sustainable into the future.
Jackie Bartley, President of NAHT, said
In order to make any progress in education, the removal of serious industrial barriers must be the first priority of the incoming Minister. This means that a fair and sustainable pay settlement must be achieved for the teaching workforce, and that the significant workload issues that school leaders and teachers face must be addressed by urgently progressing the implementation of the recommendations of the eight workforce reviews.
Pauline Buchanan NEU Joint Regional Secretary added
Teachers have endured prolonged financial strain because of no uplift in pay for years. Now is the time for this to be rectified by awarding a decent pay rise. In addition, the gross underfunding of educational settings must be addressed urgently. We welcome the appointment of the Education Minister and look forward to an early meeting to resolve to our pay dispute and to begin working together to deliver prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for our children and young people.