June 2010
GTC set to be abolished
Commenting on Michael Gove’s announcement of plans to abolish the General Teaching Council, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said;
"From its inception, the GTC has struggled to overcome the fact that teachers felt it had been imposed on them. Equally, the annual fee of £36.50 has remained a sore point. The NUT has consistently argued that teachers should not have to pay the GTC fee.
"Under the GTC, teachers now feel over-scrutinised. Last year's 'code of conduct' was a worrying development, encompassing activities and behaviour outside of work. It sought to turn aspirations for best practice into rules. Any replacement for the GTC needs to distance itself from the belief that a watchdog can also reserve the right to make intrusive judgments on teachers' personal lives.
"Rather than have outright abolition, all teachers ought to be consulted on whether they believe a professional council for teachers should be maintained. What we cannot have, however, is a council which is at the whims of any Secretary of State. If we are to achieve the holy grail of evidence based policy making, free from political interference, there would be merit in looking at the recent proposal for a Chief Education Officer along the lines of the Chief Science and Medical Officer."
Queen’s Speech
Commenting on the Queen’s Speech, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said; “In many ways the Queen’s Speech contains few surprises, given the Government had already trailed the major expansion in the Academies programme. What is crystal clear from the Queen’s Speech is that it contains some major contradictions.
“The emphasis on greater power for local communities is belied by the Government’s proposal to remove the requirement to consult local councils before an Academy is opened. It appears that the Big Society is now big in Whitehall but not elsewhere.
“The idea that maintained schools can simply decide to be Academies because of an Ofsted judgement also has major funding and planning implications. Expanding the programme into primary schools is also unacceptable and unnecessary.
“In short, the very freedoms which the Government intends for schools will be mired by controversy over its wholly unproven argument that somehow, because a school becomes an Academy, that will automatically raise standards.
“Creating Academies on the scale proposed by the Government will have the effect of transferring billions of pounds of publicly funded assets in the form of buildings and land into the hands of private sponsors.
“There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of the Coalition Government committing to an inclusive admissions policy for schools, a fact which must cause even greater concern to local communities.”
“This is a retrograde step which will cause social division and planning gridlock, and drive a bulldozer through properly accountable local authority provision of education. What is needed is a good local school for every child working within their local family of schools.”
For Further Information contact Caroline Cowie on 0207 380 4706 or 078789480061
NUT and NAHT Boycott against SATs
Commenting on this week’s boycott of Key Stage 2 tests, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said; “Thousands of schools across England have decided that enough is enough and have taken the decisive step of boycotting this year’s SATs.
“There are reports from many areas that a significant majority of primary school pupils will not be sitting Key Stage 2 tests this week. This will make the annual ritual of naming and shaming schools through league tables impossible.
“It is essential that Government listens to and engages with the profession in constructive talks about reforming assessment at primary level.
We look forward to meeting with the new government – the election manifestoes of both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats acknowledged the need for reform of the tests at Key Stage 2. We hope that the strength of feeling shown by leadership groups during this boycott will be enough to convince Labour that they too must change direction.
“I am hearing from a lot of head teachers about just how delighted they are that finally children in their schools are being taught without the threat of SATs results hanging over them. I am also delighted that so many schools have taken the brave step of taking part in the boycott despite the many pressures not to.
“The campaign to end SATs will continue and I urge the next Government to pay immediate and serious attention to the matter of ensuring our schools have a fair and sensible alternative to SATs in place for next year”.
For further details contact Caroline Cowie on 07879480061
This section contains valuable resources such as guidance on induction, working time duties, eduction and the law, and cyberbullying in schools.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR TEACHER COVER SEPTEMBER 2009.doc
CHARGING FOR SCHOOL
ACTIVITIES.doc
Cyberbullying supporting school staff.pdf
Education the law and
you.pdf
Fixed-Term and
Temporary Contracts.pdf
GUIDANCE COMPULSORY RETIREMENTS FROM AGE 65.doc
Induction
for newly qualified teachers.pdf
Infectious diseases
in schools.pdf
PART TIME TEACHERS NUT calculator - worked example.xls
PART TIME TEACHERS NUT Guidance September 2008.doc
Rarely Cover
Implementation Process.pdf
The Threshold
Process in 200910.doc
WOMENS HEALTH and
SAFETY.doc
WORKING TIME &
DUTIES-NUT GUIDE.doc