Industry News
Independent school teachers call for better working conditions
Posted on 18th March 2008
Private school teachers are set to tell the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' (ATL) annual conference today that bad working practices are all-too common in the independent sector.
Apparently, many teachers employed in independent schools work long hours for relatively low wages, do not have formal contracts and are denied proper career progression, the Guardian reported.
John Richardson, ATL's national official for the independent sector, told the newspaper that teachers often feel they do not need a contract because they and their employers are "honourable", or they are too scared to ask for one.
Independent schools, particularly boarding schools, also have a culture of expecting staff to work long hours for little financial remuneration, Mr Richardson said.
Recently Barbara White, an assistant housemistress at Malvern College, won £12,000 compensation after it was revealed in court that she had been contracted to work 121.5 hours a week for less than the minimum wage.
This news may come as a surprise to some parents as many schools have blamed recent steep fee hikes on rising teachers' pay, among other things.