ATL Cymru condemns massive hike in EWC fee
Speaking after the admission by the Welsh Government that teachers face a massive hike in the fee deducted from their wages to fund the Education Workforce Council, Dr. Philip Dixon, Director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said: ‘Next year teachers will have to pay nearly 300% more to be registered at the Education Workforce Council. As registration is not optional this is effectively a ‘tax on teaching’ in Wales. Teachers have faced several years of below inflation pay rises and this will take yet more money out of their pay packets. Teachers in England are not burdened with this £45 tax.
The Education Workforce Council is a costly little quango which has yet to prove of any real worth. It was wanted by the Minister and appointed by the minister, but is fed and watered by school and college staff. In its current form it breaches one of the first principles of justice – ‘no taxation without representation’. Unless there are fundamental changes to ensure that it can truly represent their interests the Education Workforce Council runs the risk of being completely rejected by hard working teachers, lecturers and support staff as little more than a Welsh Government poodle.’
Notes:
Currently teachers and college lecturers pay £12 out of their own resources for the EWC fee. The new EWC registration fee that all registrants will pay from April 2016 is set out below. The bold figure is what registrants will pay from their own resources.
Category Registration Fee Subsidy Contribution
School Teacher £78 £33 £45
Further Education Teacher £49 £4 £45
School Learning Support Worker £49 £34 £15
FE Learning Support Worker £49 £34 £15
