Isle of Man teachers 'worst off' in British Isles, union claims

Ministers have been warned about a likely shortage of teachers this year

Isle of Man teachers are the "worst off" in the whole of the British Isles, according to a teaching union.

The NASUWT union said Manx teachers have been "hardest hit" by cuts, rising inflation and living costs.

The union's figures show that since 2010 the average pay cut in real terms for teachers on the Isle of Man was 25%, compared with 16% in the UK.

An Isle of Man government spokesman said it "places great value on its dedicated workforce of teachers."

He added that teachers "deliver an education system that is one of the driving forces of our successful economy".

Teaching salaries on the Isle of Man are linked to those set by the UK School Teachers' Pay Review Body, an independent organisation which provides recommendations regarding the pay of more than 500,000 teachers in England and Wales.

'Increasing frustration'

This year it warned UK ministers of potential problems regarding teacher shortages as well as funding pressures.

Damien McNulty from NASUWT said a survey completed by 112 teachers on the island showed nearly two-thirds (62%) admitted they were "seriously considering leaving teaching altogether".

He said the maximum teaching salary on the Isle of Man is £38,250 compared to £47,175 in Guernsey and £50,017 in Jersey.

He said "extremely expensive" living costs put additional pressure on teachers.

"When you take everything into account, teaching salaries on the Isle of Man just don't compare favourably with other parts of the UK," he said.

"This is a source of increasing frustration among our members".