Bridget Phillipson faces criticism from teaching union over education secretary record

England's National Education Union has delivered a sharp verdict on Bridget Phillipson's tenure as education secretary, with 74 per cent of its members rating her performance as either "quite badly" or "very badly." The survey of over 4,000 union members reveals deeper frustration with Labour's education record, with 72 per cent saying the government has underperformed on schooling issues. The criticism comes as the party faces broader pressure following recent political upheaval.

Union survey reveals widespread discontent

The National Education Union commissioned Deltapoll to poll 4,131 of its members earlier this month, asking them to assess both Phillipson and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's performance in their respective roles. Only 9 per cent of respondents believe Phillipson is doing well in her position, while two-thirds of those surveyed said Labour has performed worse in office than they expected on education matters.

The findings highlight a stark disconnect between government promises and classroom reality. Phillipson's pledge to recruit 6,500 extra teachers has not materialised, according to Daniel Kebede, the union's general secretary. Kebede accused the department of resorting to "creative accounting" to mask recruitment failures and a persistent retention crisis, with educators leaving the profession faster than new ones are being hired.

Funding and pay remain central concerns

The union has signalled that industrial action remains a possibility unless the government delivers a fully-funded, above-inflation pay offer for teachers in the 2026-27 academic year. The Department for Education has not yet announced its teacher pay award for that period. School funding itself continues to operate at what the union describes as "austerity-level" budgets, forcing institutions to do more with fewer resources. In Bolton, the union's local branch called on the next prime minister to prioritise "massive investment in public services" and genuine wage increases for the education workforce.

Kebede noted that the union has recorded a "record" number of ongoing local disputes, primarily centred on redundancies and restructuring across schools. The combination of unmet recruitment targets, inadequate funding, and workplace disputes suggests education will remain a contentious issue for whoever takes the helm in government.