Tories may recommend a paltry 2% pay increase for school teachers next year, the Education Secretary has hinted.
In a letter to the chair of the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB), Gillian Keegan urged decision-makers to "have regard" to the government's inflation target. This currently stands at 2%.
The STRB, which reports to the government, makes recommendations about pay and working conditions.
The head of the National Education Union today voiced his fury over the figure, accusing the government of "attacking" teacher pay.
Kevin Courtney, joint secretary of the NEU, also said that such a move would make problems recruiting and retaining school staff - which is "already critical" - even harder.
Ms Keegan, writing to STRB chief Dr Mike Aldred, claimed that a generous pay offer could "drive prices even higher in the future".
She wrote: "Pay awards must strike a careful balance, recognising the vital importance of teachers and other private sector workers, whilst delivering value for the taxpayer, considering private sector pay levels, not increasing the country's debt further, and being careful not to drive prices even higher in the future.
"In the current economic context, it is particularly important that you have regard to the government's inflation target when forming recommendations."
The government is not set to decide on its recommended pay offer until next year, with department officials saying the letter is the start of the process.
Ms Keegan, who wore a £10,000 Rolex watch in an official photograph released after her appointment to the role last month, called on the STRB to "carefully evaluate" evidence on what her department considers a "fair" offer.
Last year the DFE confirmed a 5% increase for most teachers and an 8.9% uplift in starting salaries.
But this falls well short of the current 11.1% inflation rate, a 41 year high.
Mr Courtney said teachers have endured a decade of real-terms cuts and accused the government of "cynically using its own inadequate funding levels to justify more attacks on teacher pay".
He fumed that staff have already seen the real value of their pay fall by a fifth since 2010 - when the Tories took office - and said last year's increase was "another big real-terms cut to teacher pay".
The union chief said Ms Keegan's letter showed the government "has no intention of repairing the damage to teacher pay".
He said: “Instead of focusing on the impact of inflation on teachers, the Government's remit letter focuses on its own inflation target which is currently just 2%.
"With RPI inflation predicted to be almost 7% in late 2023 according to the Treasury's own average of forecasts, a pay increase of 2% would be another devastating cut to teacher pay."
He said a 2% rise would "intensify teacher recruitment and retention problems that are already critical", and added: “Instead of funding the pay increases teachers need, the Government is cynically using its own inadequate funding levels to justify more attacks on teacher pay.
"Once again, the Government is restricting the STRB's remit to prevent the objective, evidence-based review of teacher pay we need - a review that must not be constrained by the Government's inadequate funding envelope."
Mr Courtney said teachers have been heavily hit by years of austerity and said all the government has to offer is "more of the same".
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Recognising the dedication and hard work of teachers is at the heart of our commitment to ensuring that every child gets the best possible education.
"We understand the challenges caused by high inflation, for both schools and individual teachers. Pay awards must strike a careful balance, recognising the vital importance of teachers whilst also delivering value for the taxpayer.
"This remit letter now asks the STRB, the independent teachers’ pay review body, to start the process of determining next year’s pay award, taking into our account our commitment to a £30,000 starting salary.”
