Isle of Man teachers' pay rise to be implemented next month

The pay rise will come into force in December

Teachers on the Isle of Man will receive an 8% salary rise next month despite the deal being rejected by one of the largest teaching unions.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture's (DESC) offer will also see the starting salary for newly-qualified teachers rise by 11.9% to £36,557.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is set to start strike action on Wednesday over pay and conditions.

Four other unions accepted the deal.

The National Education Union, National Association of Head Teachers, Association of School and College Leaders, and University and College Union have all agreed to the offer.

'Sustainable and affordable'

DESC Minister Julie Edge said the new pay scales would make the island "even more attractive to the teaching profession".

She said: "The pay award recognises the outstanding contribution teachers make to our society and provides a sustainable and affordable pay structure which best supports recruitment and retention."

The award was higher than that recommended by the School Teachers' Review Body in England, which was between 5% and 8.9%, she added.

Rejecting the deal earlier this month, the NASUWT said it represented a real-terms pay cut for teachers after more than a decade of pay erosion.

Its members are due to stage the first of three two-day walk outs later this week.

All five of the government-run high schools on the island have asked several year groups to learn from home on the strike days.