HISTORIC JOINT AGREEMENT

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HISTORIC JOINT AGREEMENT LAUNCHED

HISTORIC JOINT AGREEMENT LAUNCHED

The UK’s two biggest teaching unions, the NUT and the NASUWT, have today launched an historic joint agreement committing the unions to work together to protect teachers and defend education.

Representing over 85% of the teaching profession in England and Wales, the two unions are launching an unprecedented joint campaign to end the continuing assault on the teaching profession.

These sustained attacks on working conditions, pensions, pay, conditions of service and the threat to jobs are now so severe that the NASUWT and the NUT believe joint, coordinated and sustained action is essential.

They have written to Education Secretary Michael Gove to seek urgent discussions about the enormous threats to teacher morale and the education system itself.

The two unions are calling on Mr Gove to reach agreement with them on these vital issues before the start of the next academic year.

Should the Government refuse to negotiate sensible arrangements which protect teachers and defend education, then it is the intention of the two unions to move to escalate industrial action, including jointly coordinated strike action and action short of strike action in the autumn.

The campaign will involve working jointly on political lobbying, public campaigns, research and negotiation, together with a jointly coordinated programme of industrial action, including action short of strike action and strike action.

NASUWT General Secretary Chris Keates said:

“Since the Government came into office, there has been a relentless and unprecedented assault on teachers’ pay and conditions of service.

“This assault on teachers is damaging standards of education.

“Our two unions, which represent the overwhelming majority of the teaching profession, are united in our determination to defend education by protecting teachers.”

NUT General Secretary Christine Blower said:

“Since coming to power the Government has sought to undermine teachers.

“Occasionally saying we have the best generation of teachers we’ve ever had in no way compensates for the onslaught of attacks and threats to pay, pensions and working conditions.

“We need to stand together to protect our profession and the education system. It is more important than ever that we work together to achieve these goals for all our members.”

Visit of the National President to Whitby

Action Short of Strike Action latest!

Check out the latest supplementary advice here!

Don’t forget to read the model Performance Management document for NASUWT reps complete with commentary here.

NASUWT COMMENTS ON THE LAUNCH OF THE OECD SKILLS STRATEGY

NASUWT COMMENTS ON THE LAUNCH OF THE OECD SKILLS STRATEGY

Responding to the publication of the OECD Skills Strategy, which sets out ways to improve the supply of and demand for workplace skills to promote economic growth, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said:

“At a time of economic recession, record levels of youth unemployment and major job insecurity, the need to prioritise investment in workplace skills has never been more important.

“The OECD Skills Strategy makes a number of important recommendations which should give the Coalition Government pause for thought.

“In the UK, the Government’s programme of education spending cuts and the decision to axe many vocational programmes of study contrast starkly with the central message from the OECD report that governments need to equip young people with education, training and skills to enable them to compete for the highly skilled jobs that our economy will need for the future.

“Ministers in the Department for Education should also think again about the wisdom of their decision to remove the requirement for teachers in academy schools and free schools to be professionally qualified.

“Securing a lasting economic recovery will require that all teachers are well prepared and qualified and that they have access to professional development throughout their careers that enables them to continue to equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need.”

NEW RESEARCH DEMOLISHES CASE FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL PAY

NEW RESEARCH DEMOLISHES CASE FOR LOCAL AND REGIONAL PAY

The NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, has today published its evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (Review Body) incorporating new research for the NASUWT by the Incomes Data Services (IDS) on local and regional pay.

Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, said

“The new research, drawing on evidence of best practice from both the public and private sectors, demolishes the Coalition Government’s case for local and regional pay.

“The research shows that the leading public and private sector organisations have national pay frameworks.

“The Secretary of State was a month late making his submission to the Review Body, presumably because of his desperate attempts to find any compelling evidence of the need for change.”

SEN REFORMS DO NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE REAL CONCERNS OF PARENTS

SEN REFORMS DO NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE REAL CONCERNS OF PARENTS

Commenting on media reports of the Coalition Government’s response to the consultation on the special educational needs (SEN) Green Paper, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union said:

“The reform of critical support for children and young people with SEN is being proposed at a time when the health service is being plunged into the chaos of reorganisation, the free market is being introduced into schools and massive cuts and job losses are being faced by essential services.

“It appears that consultation on this complex and critical issue has been reduced, once again, to a cosmetic exercise and the Coalition Government is simply proceeding with its original proposals in the Green Paper.

“Whilst it is true that the current statement arrangements can be bureaucratic at times, it is not at all clear that the proposed changes to the system will address the issues of concern.

“It is all too apparent that the Coalition Government’s proposed reforms will do nothing to address the real concern of parents that sufficient resources are made available to meet their children’s needs. In circumstances where education funding is declining in real terms, the ability of the system to ensure that pupils with high levels of need get the care and support they require is only likely to become increasingly constrained.

“Personal budgets may sound superficially attractive but are simply vouchers by any other name. They rightly will be seen by many parents as wholly irrelevant to their concerns.

“Vouchers are about opening up a market in the provision of special needs rather than ensuring that parents, teachers and other professionals can work together to support pupils with the most complex and challenging SEN.

“Despite Government and Ofsted assertions to the contrary, it is simply not the case that pupils are identified as having SEN as a result of schools’ low expectations of their capability and potential. This claim denigrates unjustifiably the expertise and commitment of the school workforce and highlights the lack of respect for the teaching profession that underpins a great deal of Coalition Government policy.

“The key message is that the Coalition Government is seeking to redefine what constitutes SEN, in the context of an economic austerity programme.

“This can only mean that fewer children will qualify for additional support and teachers and parents will be left to pick up the pieces.

“If the Coalition Government’s intended reforms are introduced, the ability of schools to identify and remove the barriers to achievement pupils with SEN face will be undermined severely, causing real alarm and distress for parents of some of the most vulnerable children within the education system.”