Nursery World - Clark backs pay rise in schools

* The education and skills secretary has backed Unison's campaign to end low pay for support staff in schools. At a reception in Westminster last week organised by the public services union, Charles Clarke said that Unison's call for an end to low pay was a 'fair demand' and that he wanted to work with the union to achieve it.

At a reception in Westminster last week organised by the public services union, Charles Clarke said that Unison's call for an end to low pay was a 'fair demand' and that he wanted to work with the union to achieve it.

A Unison spokeswoman said Mr Clarke also spoke of the need to develop a better career structure for support staff and improve their access to training. He suggested that the Learning and Skills Council's budget for improving training opportunities - 8bn in 2003/04 - needed to benefit those working in the private sector as well as the public sector.

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