Almost half of school support staff in the West Midlands are considering quitting their jobs because they are not being paid enough, according to a new survey.
School employees told how they are living with no heating or hot water because of broken boilers they can’t afford to fix, worrying about how to pay bills, relying on their children for money or going to food banks.
A huge 96 per cent said their rate of pay isn’t enough to cope with soaring prices, with nearly one in three earning less than £1,000 a month.
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And it has left some in crisis, worrying about how they will pay their bills from one month to the next.
One anonymous employee said: “I cannot even pay my rent on my wages. I am renting a tiny two-bedroom place for £1,100 a month with my husband who has cancer and cannot work full time.”
While another struggling to make ends meet said: “I am struggling to keep my home, pay my bills and feed my children as I’m a single mother. I’m living on a credit card, which I can’t afford to pay off.”
Some 47 per cent said they were actively looking for better paid jobs, sparking fears of a potential exodus in school support staff.
The findings were made by the public sector union Unison which said support staff, such as teaching assistants, caretakers and cleaners, “simply don’t earn enough for the incredible job they do”.
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Three quarters said they were worried about paying their utility and council tax bills and almost half – 48 per cent – are anxious about paying their mortgage or rent.
The union spoke to nearly 600 support workers from primary and secondary schools in the West Midlands.
It comes after a Birmingham Live investigation found rising numbers of families were being forced to turn to food banks because of soaring food and energy bills.
Unison West Midlands regional secretary Ravi Subramanian said: “School support staff are a dedicated workforce who go the extra mile every day and work incredibly hard. Schools couldn’t operate without them. But many have reached a point where they simply can’t afford to stay in the job they love.
“Schools risk an exodus of support staff, as people reluctantly seek better-paid jobs. This is a terrible state of affairs, given the tireless work of support staff throughout the pandemic, ensuring schools remained open and free school meals were still provided.
“But the rising cost of bills, food and travel means many of the stars in our schools risk falling into serious debt or losing their homes. They simply don’t earn enough for the incredible job they do. The government must make extra money available to enable schools to keep the support staff they’re so dependent upon by paying them properly.”
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