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Teachers threaten strike over crackdown on failing schools
Tim Ross, Education Correspondent14 Apr 2009
TEACHERS are threatening to strike in protest at Gordon Brown's crackdown on failing schools.
Almost 43,000 children attend London secondary schools on the Government's hit list for poor GCSE results.
The schools face being taken over, turned into privately-sponsored academies or even closed under the National Challenge initiative, which aims to eradicate such failure by 2011.
But members of the NASUWT teaching union are calling for a campaign of industrial action to force ministers to abandon the "appalling" policy. More than 70 per cent of pupils at 43 London schools on the hit list failed to achieve at least five C grades, including maths and English last year.
A motion to be debated at the NASUWT's annual conference in Bournemouth calls for "industrial action, including strike action" in schools and local authorities where teachers are affected by the crackdown.
The motion condemns the initiative and its "appalling threats of school closures and privatisation" as "unfit for purpose". "Many thousands of hard-working teachers in the National Challenge schools are subject to excessive monitoring and harassment and are becoming fearful of losing their jobs," the motion claims.
The initiative was announced by Mr Brown soon after he took over as Prime Minister in 2007. This year Schools Secretary Ed Balls insisted there would be no softening of the Government's approach.
Speaking as the most recent table of failing schools was released in January, he said: "The one thing we won't tolerate is excuses. That attitude is failing pupils and letting communities down. If there is no local change, we will require local change." Three of the failing schools in London were academies which had been open for at least five years when pupils sat their GCSEs last summer. Mr Balls hinted that privately-run academies would also face takeover if they fail in their mission to improve results.
The strike threat comes as the union debates separate calls for industrial action over teachers' workloads.
Ministers promised to allow teachers half a day out of the classroom every week for planning lessons and marking pupils' work.
But the NASUWT claims teachers are being denied their entitlements and routinely carry out mundane administrative tasks such as supervising children during lunch breaks and putting up classroom displays.
Teaching assistants and other support staff should be used for such work, the union believes.
Delegates will call for "all available means, up to and including strike action" to be deployed in schools which fail to honour the national agreement between unions and ministers on cutting teachers' workloads.
Chris Keates, NASUWT general secretary, said: "Some schools still don't grasp the fact that these contractual changes are not perks.
"They are designed to enable teachers and headteachers to work more effectively and to focus on teaching. It is not just the teachers, but the children and young people who are losing out. Time is running out for those who continue to flout the law."
Reader views (8)
I will not retire at 60 (or even 65 probably" !!!
Are you serious Jeremy? Well therest of society does. What job do you do? A|rchbidhop of Cabterbury?
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 14/04/2009 16:39
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This very much reminds me of the Dockers in the 1960's. Keith - I never leave work till 18:30 and I start at 07:30, I do not have 2-3 months holiday a year, I will not retire at 60 (or even 65 probably) and not on a generous public sector pension.
- Jeremy E, London, 14/04/2009 15:16
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When I started teaching in the 70s it was considered a calling. In the late 7Os we rejected strike action . The government of Thatcher decided to crush the teachers and the New Labour have continued . In the 70s I was part of three professional associations with meetings full of teachers wanting to learn more and become better teachers.
Teachers used to want to improve and now its political climbers who want to direct but know nothing.
Nowadays you will have 40% maybe of teachers not fully qualified and no interest in a school led by a head who has been re-deployed from a failing school guided by an inspector who was useless as a teacher and thus went on to inspect.
A hell of a lot has to change before education will get back to the real purpose and the best is to get politicians out of the whole process.
- Terry, Hennebont France, 14/04/2009 13:46
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Teaching standards are pretty poor generally. As for demanding a four day week - I live close to two schools and their car parks are empty by 3.10 every day - "
You aren't being serious, are you R.F. ?
We teachers are in meeting until 5 pm most nights and the 4 day week you are talking about is really a normal 5 day one, with set priods within it for marking, preparing lessons and meeting with paremts
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 14/04/2009 13:20
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Teaching standards are pretty poor generally. As for demanding a four day week - I live close to two schools and their car parks are empty by 3.10 every day - thus the teachers are already very part-time at best. They actually believe their own propaganda.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 14/04/2009 12:02
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Joe Bloggs could do better "
Maybe but could David Cameron? he has shown no leadership in education while Labour have been making all the running in terms of spending and teaching initiatives. Cameron seems stuck on e mails for some reason
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 14/04/2009 11:35
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Would anyone notice if they went on strike? They'll never get 10% - be lucky if they get 2%
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 14/04/2009 11:25
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The people in Government are supposed to be well educated but look at the rubbish coming out of Downing Street .... Joe Bloggs could do better .... FACT.
You don't need exam results...... just plain old common sense, something this Government is lacking?.
- John., Scarborough N.Yorks U.K., 14/04/2009 09:57
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