“More needed to improve teacher working conditions, not just pay” – Siân Gwenllian MS

Responding to the announcement that there will be an uplift in teachers’ pay, Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson for Education, Siân Gwenllian MS said,

“Providing a small uplift in pay for our hard working teachers goes some way in showing our appreciation for the work they do. It also shows the benefit of devolution:  that Wales is able to provide this uplift, without having to first wait for Westminster to fund something similar in England. 

“But much more needs to be done to improve not only pay, but working conditions also. During the pandemic our teachers truly showed their worth, but with one in three teachers quitting the classroom, Welsh Government must expediate their review into teacher pay and conditions, and seek more ways to show they truly value this profession.

“Plaid Cymru has previously called for development of career pathways including mentorship schemes, a government funded master’s degree, in-career sabbatical breaks and reforming incentive schemes. We also agree that the starting salary of teachers in Wales should be raised to £30,000 to attract more people into the profession.”