Following today’s pensions report from Lord Hutton, ISC calls on the government to ensure independent school teachers can take part in any future public sector pension scheme.
ISC notes Lord Hutton's concern that including non-public sector workers in the public sector schemes could increase the financial risk to government. However, Lord Hutton himself points out that there may be sound policy reasons for inclusion. We believe that this is certainly the case for the Teachers Pension Scheme, which is available to the teaching profession as a whole.
ISC Chief Executive David Lyscom said: "We have read with interest Lord Hutton’s proposals to make public sector pension schemes sustainable, and we particularly welcome his recognition of the principle that benefits that have already been accrued should not be removed.
"We hope that the government, in considering the recommendations, will take full account of the advantages of encouraging the two-way movement of teachers between the independent and state sectors. This promotes the exchange of best practice, while enriching the experience and developing the expertise of teachers. The ability for our teachers to enrol in the TPS plays an important part in this. ISC itself runs a teacher induction programme, ISCtip, licensed by the DfE, that inducts over 1000 newly qualified teachers per year, many of whom teach in the state sector at some point in their careers.
"Independent schools and teachers have always paid their full contributions to the TPS. We believe that, provided public sector pensions schemes are set up sustainably, there should be no additional risk to government by including independent school teachers in a new TPS. Indeed in a well-run scheme additional participants will make a positive contribution of benefit to all."
Ends
Notes to editors
ISC Mission Statement
The Independent Schools Council (ISC): working with its members to promote and preserve the quality, diversity and excellence of UK independent education both at home and abroad.
Additional information
ISC represents the eight leading independent schools associations in the UK, collectively educating more than 500,000 children in 1,260 schools in the UK and select British schools overseas. In total, there are around 2,600 independent schools in the UK.
Press queries
Andrew Hamilton
Telephone: (office) 020 7766 7062 (mobile) 07825 806017
Fax: 020 7766 7071
Email: andrew.hamilton@isc.co.uk
www.isc.co.uk
