Teachers' pay powers could raise profession, says Williams

The status of teachers in Wales can be raised by the devolution of their pay and conditions next year, the education secretary has said.

Kirsty Williams said unions, teachers and ministers would "agree a fair, sensible and sustainable way forward".

"We have been absolutely clear there's no question of teachers being paid less than teachers in England," she said.

Ministers are now launching a consultation on the process they should use to decide pay and conditions.

"The model we're consulting on will ensure that unions, employers and Welsh Government can come together and agree a fair, sensible and sustainable way forward," Ms Williams said.

"We also have to look at this in the round; there has never been a better opportunity to develop a truly national model that enshrines a national approach to supporting and elevating the profession."

Ministers are proposing unions, employers and the Welsh Government form a committee to make pay and conditions proposals.

Ministers would then consider the proposals and submit them to an expert body before taking final decisions.

Some teaching unions have been opposed to devolving pay and conditions amid fears that Welsh teachers could get a worse deal than those across the border.

The two biggest teaching unions were strongly against devolving control over teachers' pay and conditions to the Welsh Government.

Though some positions have now shifted, there's still concern about what it will mean for Welsh teachers.

Assurances from First Minister Carwyn Jones and the Education Secretary Kirsty Williams that it won't lead to lower pay here than in England have been welcomed.

But the process over the next few months of deciding how pay and conditions will be set is certain to generate tensions - particularly in the context of tight budgets and concerns about teacher workload.

There will be questions about how a proposed "partnership forum" involving the unions, councils and government will work? And how much will the new system cost?

As well as discussions about the mechanics of the new system, a group of experts is looking at the issue too, before the first Wales-only pay offer is made in summer 2019.