In its findings the United Kingdom’s Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that on average men are being paid significantly more than women in local authority schools, and the problem is even worse in academies.
Calling the results “disturbing,” Chris Keates, General Secretary of teachers’ union NASUWT, said that they unfortunately don’t come as a surprise. She referred to NASUWT’s own research, which reaffirms the work of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
The IFS says that women across the UK make 18 percent less than men, and the problem is even worse for women who have had children who see their gap widen to an astonishing 33 percent.
In its studies, the NASUWT found that the pay gap for female teachers in local authority primary schools is £2,600 less than men, and gap in secondary exceeds £2,400. And the problem only gets worse in England’s academies which the NASUWT says have a gap of more than £4,700 in primary schools and £3,200 in secondary.
This reality is especially telling as women make up three quarters of the teaching profession.
“Our research has found shocking examples where women teachers have asked for flexible working and been told she has no right,” said Keates. “In fact a recent NASUWT study found that 45 percent of those female teachers who had made a flexible working request had had their request declined.”
The NASUWT says that the situation has been allowed occur due to the government’s failure to address issues of equality in the workplace.