Following a number of representations that Roger received from teachers in the constituency he has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove MP, regarding the concerns that they have over government plans to dismantle the national pay structure for teachers in England and Wales and the long-term effects that teachers believe that this will have on the profession.
Roger said: "Teachers, quite rightly, have a number of concerns over current government plans. They believe that removing the current arrangements for pay progression in the early years of a teacher’s career will harm teacher recruitment by removing a key plank of the profession's offer to graduates. They also believe that further extending performance related pay (PRP) in the teaching profession will increase the scope for teachers pay to be decided on the basis of factors outside teachers controls such as the schools individual budgetary position or the attitude of the head teacher.
He went on to say: "The fragmentation of national negotiations is without doubt going to add a great deal to the administrative burden of head teachers and governors and the proposal to allow schools to cut teachers pay when they take up jobs in a new school is most likely to dramatically reduce teacher mobility and will hit women teachers on career breaks particularly hard."

This article appeared in the January edition of Roger's newsletter 'Postcard from Parliament'