Here is an extract from an article written by Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), on the ATL website - http://bit.ly/mB84QZ
"Most teachers simply cannot work until they are 66 or beyond. The demands of the job are just too great. Teachers and lecturers made a deal with the government, which Secretary of State Michael Gove endorsed at the 2010 ATL Conference when he told delegates:
"On pensions — I think that ... critically, for everyone who's been in teaching, you entered with a particular contract, as it were, in broad terms … I'm not talking about a written document, I'm talking about a broader expectation. You would work quite punishing hours. You would put up with a variety of different frustrations, but the guarantee would be that at the end of your time that your pension would be relatively secure. You might not earn as much as your contemporaries who were as well-qualified as you. You accepted that. You had good degrees, they had good degrees — they went on to earn more, but you had a fulfilling career that brought you endless joy and, at the end of it, a decent pension pot.
"I think in the future there will be changes for new entrants into the profession. But I also think that, for people who've been in the profession, we shouldn't alter the terms on which they entered. I think that's part of the sort of broad contract that you expect. You came in on a certain basis. You should proceed on that basis."
Well said, Mr Gove. Now we expect you to stick to your words. We expect you to take away the loaded gun of increased pension contributions and to negotiate in good faith."
