Alliance's programme for fair teacher pay: Parsley

5.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 14th Oct 2005

North Down Alliance Councillor Ian James Parsley has said that only the Alliance Party has a programme to meet teachers' demands for fair pay.

Speaking at a meeting of North Down Borough Council's Corporate Committee with the South Eastern Education and Library Board, the Holywood representative stated: "The education budget must be spent on education, not on capital expenditure and restoring dilapidated buildings. That means some tough decisions on school closures, but the equation is simple: either we spend money on paint, glass and restorative construction, or we spend it on pupils and teachers. I know which I prefer.

"Only if the emphasis is placed on pupils and teachers, and combined with the creation of a single education authority for all of Northern Ireland, will we have the money to spend directly on pupils, and on equalizing teachers' salaries with those in Great Britain.

"I support those opposing withdrawal of school crossing patrols, which threaten the very livelihood of the most vulnerable in our society. I support calls for improved school bus services, to reduce morning and evening congestion on our roads. And I support teachers' calls for equal pay with Great Britain, because if equal pay is good enough for other public servants, it is certainly good enough our teachers. However, people must realize the money has to come from somewhere. This means taking responsible decisions elsewhere - by lashing spending on buildings for schools which are vastly under-subscribed, slashing spending on administration, and slashing spending on the dubious luxury of education segregated by religion. While other parties mope and moan about 'lack of resources' while failing to deliver a responsible plan to overcome it, only the Alliance Party will promote serious policies that will deliver the results people are rightly demanding."

ENDS