11 minute read
Sector conferences
Government plan to scrap AGQs is ‘like Michael Gove turbo-charged’
ONLY a third of further education (FE) colleges have honoured negotiated pay deals in recent years and lecturers’ pay has fallen by 30 per cent in real terms since 2009.
And now the union’s post-16 sector is calling on the NEU to campaign for a national contract across FE colleges “to end the era of fragmentation”.
At the post-16 conference on 6 November, members unanimously agreed a motion to go to annual conference in April, covering pay and funding. The motion also called on the NEU to continue to take the lead in protecting BTECs and other applied general qualifications (AGQs) threatened by the Government.
Duncan Blackie, who represents the sector on the national executive, described the move to discontinue AGQs as “like Michael Gove turbo-charged”.
“It’s a completely whacky idea that’s just come into someone’s head on a Tuesday morning because they fell out of the wrong side of the bed,” he said.
Duncan Blackie (above)
“AGQs, whether we’re in sixth form colleges or FE colleges, are our bread and butter. They are ours, they are part of the post-war educational consensus that everyone should have the right at 16 to go on and get a vocational qualification, and BTECs have proved to be a very successful way of doing it.”
The motion to conference says the NEU should work with other unions to press the Association of Colleges to ensure pay deals it has negotiated on their behalf are respected.
n The Education Select Committee is examining the effectiveness of post-16 qualifications in preparing young people for work. The deadline for written submissions to the inquiry is 20 January – go to committees. parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/634/
n More than 65,000 people have signed the #ProtectStudentChoice petition urging the Government to keep BTEC and other AGQ qualifications. If more than 100,000 people add their names by 23 January, it will be considered for debate in Parliament. Go to petition.parliament.uk/petitions/592642
OPENING this year’s independent sector conference, NEU president Daniel Kebede paid tribute to members in the sector who have fought to defend their right to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).
He also hit out at the “immoral” fire and rehire tactics that are being used to force teachers into signing contracts without TPS.
‘Fire and rehire is immoral’
“The attempts to fire and rehire have become a real watershed moment in employment relations,” he said. “I’m immensely proud of all you are doing because it is immoral. It is so wrong that even Jacob Rees-Mogg says it is a tactic that should shame business.”
He added: “We’re not just fighting for your pensions, we’re fighting for all our pensions. This is the thin end of the wedge.”
Brian Metcalf, NEU national executive member for the independent sector, gave a wide-ranging summary of issues affecting members in the sector.
‘Build back better after Covid’
“Covid, whether we like it or not, has forever changed our schools,” he said, with online learning putting immense workload pressures on staff. “Now we need to consider how we build back better.”
Brian said schools should not use Covid as an excuse to keep wages stagnant: “A good school should be able to boast: ‘We treat our staff well and we reward them well.’ I think some establishments who have tried to cut corners will increasingly find it hard to recruit good staff and some of their choices will come back to haunt them.”
Guest speaker Aileen Kane, chief operating officer of the Boarding School Association (BSA), spoke about the impact of Covid-19 on the boarding school sector.
Aileen said there are 487 UK school members of the BSA: “It drives me mad that every time I pick up a newspaper and I see boarding schools, I see Eton. Eton is not the typical boarding school.”
Joint general secretary Kevin Courtney spoke of the deeply felt upset and anger of NEU members at the 23 schools run by the Girls’ Day School Trust, which is proposing to leave the TPS.
“Talking is where we’d rather be than balloting and striking,” he said.
Two motions were discussed – on branch structures and casework support and pay.
Only 18% of members polled believe their school has LGBT+ representation in the curriculum throughout the year.
(From left) Floris Roland Fellegi-Balta, Emme KrisTi, Svetlana Zakharova and Vyacheslav Melnyk
Hard-won rights should not be taken for granted
HALF of LGBT+ members surveyed by the NEU say their mental health is affected by not being fully ‘out’ in the workplace.
Findings from the poll of almost a thousand members were presented by NEU joint general secretary Mary Bousted at the LGBT+ educators’ virtual conference on 27 November.
Twenty-seven per cent believe being out would affect their career and a quarter said it would lead to bullying by students.
Mary went on to highlight the “rich and creative practice in many settings”, where members had adapted the curriculum to make it LGBT+ inclusive.
“If we don’t do this work, we can’t be sure that it will be done anywhere else,” she said. “This is a proper subject for all staff who want to see a more equal society.”
‘Divisive language and war on woke’
One third of members had reported no workplace barriers, which showed that inclusive workplaces can be built, she added. But the “divisive language” and “war on woke” by the Government “undermines progressive educators and LGBT+ inclusive education”.
NEU president Daniel Kebede said there had been a huge increase in LGBT+ representation at every level of the union, including a 95 per cent rise in LGBT+ district officers and an increase in women of 34 per cent.
He acknowledged the contribution of LGBT+ members to the NEU’s anti-racist framework, adding that the union must now take forward the LGBT+ equality framework with the same passion and dedication.
Challenging stereotypes
The motion that members voted to be debated at annual conference in Bournemouth in April – challenging stereotypes and fighting for liberation – was proposed by Redbridge rep Neil Dhanda.
It narrowly beat a second motion proposed by Victoria Symonds, which called for guidance to support members coming out and to advise school leaders of the legal frameworks. Speaking against this motion, one delegate said the real problem was a culture that still stigmatised LGBT+ people: “It’s not that they don’t know how to do it [come out], it’s that they’re not comfortable doing so.”
Hungary: ‘We are being humiliated’
International speakers’ accounts of living in countries with hostile attitudes and laws were a stark reminder that hard-won LGBT+ rights must not be taken for granted.
Floris Roland Fellegi-Balta, a transgender teacher in Budapest, described Hungary’s transition from a “progressive” country – one of the first in the EU to legalise same-sex civil partnership – to one where, under Victor Orban’s Government, it is a criminal offence to “promote or portray” homosexuality or trans issues to minors.
Floris works with disadvantaged students and runs workshops supporting LGBT+ students, but his school has had its funding suspended. “We are being humiliated,” he said. “I have little money. I’m struggling to eat. But I would worry were I not supporting my students, so I keep this work up while I can.”
The European Commission has begun legal action against Hungary and Poland relating to the erosion of LGBT+ rights.
Poland: ‘LGBT+ free zones declared’
Like Hungary, Poland’s once liberal stance – in 1932 it became one of the first European countries to decriminalise homosexuality – has given way to an anti-LGBT+ rhetoric. In 2018, 100 municipalities declared themselves “LGBT+ free zones”.
Vyacheslav Melnyk, executive director of Campaign Against Homophobia, said: “Poland is the EU country with the least number of laws protecting LGBT+ people. The ‘campaign of hate’ began in 2018 when the Government claimed Catholic values were threatened. Teachers who openly support LGBT+ students or discuss LGBT+ issues can face dismissal or even criminal sanctions.”
Vyacheslav said the NEU’s work with the Polish Teachers’ Union (ZNP) is “the only hope we have”.
In Jamaica, being LGBT+ is still taboo, and trans identities are not recognised, said educator Emme KrisTi.
And in Russia, the leading LGBT+ rights group has been denounced as a “foreign agent”, said activist Svetlana Zakharova, adding that activists are at personal risk. The 2013 “gay propaganda” law in Russia places a ban on children being given any information about LGBT+ issues.
“Our situation shows how easily things can go backwards and rights can be taken away,” said Svetlana. However, despite the hatred promoted by the authorities, more people are joining the movement, she added.
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
David Olusoga’s book for younger readers takes them through the history of Black people in Britain from Roman times to the present day.
CELEBRATING 30 years of Black organising in the NEU (and NUT and ATL legacy unions), the virtual Black educators’ conference took place from 11-13 November.
PRIMARY teacher and Black executive seat holder Denise Henry (right), who chaired the conference, welcomed the 500 delegates who had registered for the event.
“I have no doubt this conference will be influential in shaping the NEU’s work, ensuring we continue to support the interests of Black members and all Black educators,” she said, before introducing NEU president Daniel Kebede.
In his keynote, Daniel quoted Black writer and activist Toni Morrison: “If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”
He added: “It’s a critical time for Black members to be organising, to have our voices heard and to lend our power to those who need it. Our communities, already oppressed in this society, have been hit hard by the pandemic.”
Daniel, a long-time campaigner against poverty and racism, went on to celebrate the history of Black organising in the union, highlighting its work during the pandemic including the launch in 2020 of the NEU’s framework for developing an anti-racist approach in schools and colleges.
Writer, broadcaster and film-maker David Olusoga, professor of public history at the University of Manchester, delivered a captivating talk on Black history.
“History in the UK is like a huge decaying mansion, where only a few of the rooms are inhabited by the residents,” he said. “The rest are neglected and, in many cases, kept firmly locked. Their secrets and their contents are never discussed.
“We are used to the way history has been disguised, so we don’t even notice the locked rooms. Yet within these neglected spaces – the subjects we do not teach and the stories we do not tell – are fascinating and enriching aspects of our national story.”
David’s tone, however, was optimistic. “Although the lack of Black history within our schools is a dismal failure, it is, in some ways, an improvement. There is some presence, there is some storytelling and things are better than we might conclude,” he said.
Joint general secretary Mary Bousted said she was “pleased and proud” Black membership had risen in the past two years: “This is a real historical moment as we mark 30 years of Black NEU members organising. At this conference we celebrate the work of Black educators to make our union a more equal, radical and powerful force for change.”
She added that the union had been funding research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) into illegal exclusions – also known as off-rolling – for five years. This year, the union had provided £40,000 to the EPI to look at the characteristics of inclusive and equitable schools that do not off-roll.
Findings will be published next year to help the NEU support transformation across the education system. “This is a tangible expression of our support for our Black members who tell us that not only do they face racial discrimination in their schools, but so do their pupils,” said Mary.
She highlighted the momentum behind the anti-racist framework, developed in collaboration with Black members, which is being used in schools and branches to initiate conversations about racism.
Denise Henry (above)
Celebrating our amazing members
Awards were given to Black members who have made special contributions to their school, union or community.
NEW ACTIVIST AWARD Recognising the talent and innovation of new activists. Eman Mohamed
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
Celebrating the achievement of leaders who have sparked positive change through industrial action, in their community or more broadly within the union. Paramjeet Bhogal and Samina Randall (joint winners) CLAIRE GRAY AWARD In memory of Claire, this award recognises internationalist work that has made an impact. Lesley Koranteng
MANOJ NATHA-HANSEN AWARD
In memory of Manoj, celebrating intersectional organising work to unite and build communities. Tashan Charles
ANTI-RACIST FRAMEWORK AWARD
New award celebrating activists who have used the anti-racist framework to successfully organise for better conditions in their workplace. Jennifer Christopher PLATINUM AWARD Lifetime achievement for over 50 years of outstanding work in promoting and developing anti-racist initiatives within the union at a local and national level. This award recognises the dedication, courage and commitment taken to create progress towards equality in education. Elaine Huggett
