ClassroomSolidarity's blog

Three NUT Strikes - Bolton, Ealing, Westminster

This Wednesday, the day after a divisional secretaries meeting to discuss how to plan the next national ballot, three schools- in Bolton, Ealing and Westminster- are out on strike in exemplary actions

that show the way forward for the NUT generally. Sadly, it is not a pattern being repeated over...

For Secular Education

Faith schools featured as a controversial aspect of debate at conference 2006 and despite a lengthy discussion – on the web, in conference hall and at fringe meetings – no real progress was made. The union had not considered its position for some time and many asked ‘why raise the issue now?’ This...

Teachers need a voice in politics.

NUT policies go well beyond the defence of our members pay and working conditions. In particular the Union has for decades been committed to free state comprehensive schools for all and opposed to selection, privilege and social division in education. Currently we want to see the end of imposed...

Call off the hounds! End the reign of Terror! National Action on Workload!

When John Illingworth received a standing ovation at this year’s conference following his emotional appeal for the Union to take action to relieve workload induced teacher stress you would have thought that even our lethargic, sleep-walking executive would have been stung into action.
Yet just a few...

Pork Pie Academy planned for Nottingham!

The sponsor for one of Nottingham's three proposed Academies has been announced. All along the City Council reassured us that the sponsors would be ‘respectable’ – hinting at the possibility of the University Hospital stumping up come cash. So far it’s been difficult to motivate much reaction...

NASUWT – Is it still a trade union?

Increasingly the NASUWT takes on the appearance of a bosses union. Desperate for a place at the negotiating table the NASUWT now appear to have forgotten that the core task of a trade union is to defend the interests of members in the workplace. The workforce remodelling agreement is at the root of...

Welcome to Torquemada Academy?

“Ah, good morning Mr and Mrs Smith; and this must be little Leo,” gushed the unctuous, gowned and mortar-boarded Principal. Try as he might, he could barely prevent the tone of disdain edging into his voice as their shabby collective appearance suggested unsuitability from the outset. Had they been...

Time to phase out faith schools

For the first time in many years Conference delegates will have the opportunity to debate our policy on faith schools. The debate on Sunday morning will provide a choice between three broad positions.

  1. Against faith schools: Motion 31 and five of the amendments to it (31.1, 31.4, 31.5, 31.6 and 31.7...

Strike action the answer on pensions

Over a million people struck to defend pensions on March 28th. Across the country successful pickets and demonstrations showed the potential of union power.
In Nottingham over 1,000 marched through the streets to a rally in the city. Schools, libraries, museums, car parks, refuse collection and much...

Monitoring madness increases workload

The new Ofsted inspection process with its focus on so-called self-evaluation has generated panic in leadership teams everywhere.
Desperate to avoid the labels “notice to improve” or “special measures” headteachers have introduced round the clock Ofsted style monitoring of teachers.
Two key...

Scrap Ofsted now!

I have now endured fourteen inspections of varying kinds - HMI, monitoring visits, Ofsted etc etc etc.
You would think with such experience that I would be aware of what an inspection involves.

TLR Campaign shows action works

Without the NUT hundreds of teachers across England and Wales would have been worse off as a result of the introduction of TLRs, and the problem is not just financial. Many teachers have faced the double whammy of cuts in pay and increases in workload.
The response of the NUT has been a model of...

Stop the great schools sell-off

Comprehensive Education, despite its overwhelming popularity amongst voters, is in mortal danger from the proposals in the Government’s Education Bill passed in the House of Commons only with the support of the Tories. The Bill will hand control of state education over to private sponsors with...

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