Key unions have given a mixed reaction to reports that teachers are set to be offered a new three year pay deal.

In a bid to end annual pay clashes, education secretary Estelle Morris is to write to the School Teachers' Review Body proposing a deal to cover a period until beyond the next general election.

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Gerald Imison, deputy general secretary of the ATL, told ePolitix.com: "This is an interesting proposal and could help heads in planning their budgets, but it is unclear how the secretary of state's plan will deal with the problem of making the teaching profession more attractive.

"Unless there is sufficient funding to deal with the severe retention problem and unless the salary levels involved are significantly improved it is difficult to see how this will really help teachers".

Forum Response: NATFHE

Tom Wilson, head of NATFHE's universities department, told ePolitix.com: "We hope that teachers receive a fair offer. The government should also remember that college lecturers, many doing the same work as teachers in the 14-19 sector, currently receive 12 per cent less than teachers.

"NATFHE will expect the government to also act on this to prevent the loss of more lecturers, driven out by low pay.

"Reforms in academic pay and career structures are long overdue. In further and higher education, lecturers are tired of annual pay deals which do nothing except barely match inflation.

"The chancellor's three year 18 per cent rise in education funding offers a unique opportunity. A three year deal could make a lot of sense."

Forum Response: National Union of Teachers

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, told ePolitix.com: "In Scotland the three year pay and conditions deal came about as a result of an independent enquiry and negotiations between the unions and the Scottish parliament.

"In England, teachers do not have negotiating rights and will view the proposal for a three-year deal as a way of imposing on them a deal which may be eroded by inflation in years two and three.

"The onus must be on the government to sit down with the teacher unions and employers to negotiate and seek agreement not to impose. Obviously the NUT executive will need to sit down and consider the terms of the remit letter but they will have in their minds the differences between the agreement in Scotland and the imposition in England."