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My name is Victoria Josiah, I am a secondary science NQ. I would like to share with you why I am here today.
When I chose teaching as my profession, I hadn’t thought much about money, I knew it wasn’t a profession that I could expect to get rich from! I did understand that I could expect a good pension when I retired. It was a key incentive to me. At 22, I currently live at home so that I can save money to move out and to fund my masters degree. Like all of us, my cost of living has increased over the last year making this more difficult than I could have imagined.
It took me 5 years to train; 3 years to complete my degree, 1 year to train and another year of Induction. I am proud to be a professional in such an important institution. We can all name a great teacher who has an impact on our lives and I hope that I could one day be such a teacher.
Due to the proposed government changes – only 11 months into my dream career, what I was promised has changed drastically. Already there are plans to make me pay more into my pension, meaning my masters is near impossible to think about and moving out will not be happening any time soon.
Talking to other NQs, I’m shocked to find out that so many of us have seriously considered leaving the job we love or opting out of the pension scheme due to the proposed changes. They simply cannot afford to lose that extra money a month for a scheme that does not offer a good return; future graduates who have student debts of £30,000 and upwards will not opt for a career that offers a take home salary of £14,000 in the first year.
The long term risk to those that opt out and the effect it would have on the longevity of the scheme seem to have been completely neglected in the current proposals.
The idea that I will have to work until I’m 68 – and maybe longer whilst receiving an average of 25% less for my pension is so saddening. I feel deeply undervalued as a graduate and a professional. Despite media claims that the TPS offers a gold plated pension, the average pension for teachers is only £10,000 per year at the moment.
When talking to my students about the strike I explained – this is my first choice career.
There is nothing else I would rather do but there are of other jobs that I could do for better pay. I expect to stay in this career but I want to stop teaching at an age that will allow me to enjoy my retirement. I know I cannot offer the same quality of teaching at 68 than I can offer now. I am sure that parents would like to see teachers who are quality graduates with excellent subject knowledge: teachers who have energy and passion.
There is no doubt that teaching is so rewarding, but it is also so demanding emotionally and physically that the idea of teaching until I am 68 is impossible. Which takes me right back to the start; if this is a career I will have to leave before a pensionable age, why should I be part of the pension scheme at all? If I stand to lose my own earnings now and again in retirement why would I pay into this scheme now?
I am a graduate and a professional but sadly I am being made to feel like a villain for trying to defend my own earnings. We are here today because our requests have been ignored; we ask for what is fair and justifiable. For the scheme to be accurately valued to allow reasoned planning and debate, for the Government to listen to the serious concerns raised by the Unions and the Public Accounts Committee; to take time to further analyse the long term impact these plans will have on teachers and the future of Education.
Thank you.