Commenting on the launch of a legal challenge by the Sixth Form Colleges Association (SFCA), Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The decision of the SFCA to launch a judicial review draws further attention to the mystifying choice by the Government to differentiate between teachers in academised and non-academised sixth form colleges for this year's pay award. It should give the Government pause for thought and may have ramifications for further education as a whole.
“We have tried without success, as yet, to convince the Government to guarantee that colleges can spend additional funding on staff pay as they rightly should. Our members will be taking strike action in the coming weeks should this not happen. Strike action is always a last resort for teachers and we remain hopeful that the Government will do the honourable thing and make this right, to avoid a protracted dispute.”