The government’s pay offer to teachers so far is derisory (Teaching unions warn of strikes in England despite reports of improved pay offer, 1 July). What makes it even more insulting is the news that Gavin Williamson, education secretary during the lockdowns, is about to earn £50,000 a year for a part-time second job advising an education firm chaired by a Tory donor, which has itself given large sums to the party (Report, 29 June).
Teachers could not have done more; Williamson could hardly have done less. Guidance from the Department for Education routinely arrived just in time to blight holidays and weekends, laptops for students in digital poverty were delivered so slowly that some were still waiting a year later. Goodness knows that there’s enough micromanagement of teachers, so surely there could have been some nudging of suppliers and civil servants to get resources out on time.
