Newly-qualified teachers in Northern Ireland could get a starting salary of £30,000, under a pay offer outlined by Education Minister Paul Givan.
Teachers in Northern Ireland have not had a pay increase for three years.
The five main unions have been engaged in long-running strike action, but agreed to postpone any further action last month due to fresh negotiations.
Mr Givan said his proposal would bring the starting point for salaries equal to those in England.
On Monday, he outlined a formal offer on teachers’ pay for 2021, 2022 and 2023 to the unions.
Mr Givan said: “It is unacceptable that teachers have been waiting three years for a pay increase.
“I have made it clear that my highest priority is to ensure that the teaching profession is paid at a rate which recognises the value of their profession.
“This is a positive step in that direction, and I commend the positive negotiations that have taken place within the Teachers’ Negotiating Committee (TNC) which consists of management and the trade unions representing teachers and school leaders.”
The unions which now make up the Northern Ireland Teaching Council (NITC) will now consult with their members on the proposals in advance of any formal acceptance.
Mr Givan said he would urge all teachers and school leaders to consider the formal offer and hoped it would bring an end to all industrial action.
He said that would “create the opportunity to stabilise our education system and allow us to build upon this in the delivery of world class education in Northern Ireland”.
The proposed settlement for newly-qualified teachers represents a 24.3% increase from the current starting salary of just over £24,000, said the department.
It means the starting salary will rise to £30,000 from 1 September 2023.
The department added that the pay offer also equates to a cumulative total of 10.4%, plus £1,000 being applied to the other teachers’ and leadership pay scales.
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