Conference round-up Words by Sally Gillen and Max Watson. Photos by Kois Miah
It’s been too long… together again at last WITHIN 24 hours of its launch at annual conference in Bournemouth (11-14 April), the union’s Replace Ofsted: Let teachers teach petition had 17,000 signatures. As Educate went to press, more than 27,500 people had signed. Ofsted topped the programme at this year’s event – the first in person for three years – with delegates debating the damage done by the inspectorate in its 30-year lifetime. Ofsted must go – that was the message delivered by speakers and it met with huge applause and cheers from the audience of 1,600 NEU members (page 13 and sign our petition on page 46). An urgent motion was debated on the rights of children in schools, following the review into the Child Q scandal. Following the strip-searching of a Black 15-year-old girl who was menstruating, national executive member Jess Edwards asked: “How can we trust a police force like this?”
“We must fight for a fairer, properly funded future.” Jenny Williams, Croydon The case should have been treated as a safeguarding concern not a criminal matter, said Jess: “Let Child Q be the moment we reflect on policing in schools.” Zahra Bei from Brent said: “It’s not a oneoff – not just a few bad apples.” She called for schools to emphasise restorative justice practices. Another urgent motion – on the Government’s White Paper on education – was moved by Megan Quinn from Camden. She talked of the challenges faced by staff during Covid: of special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision; of child poverty. But she said the White Paper
“It’s brilliant. It’s just for me a big learning point. I was very nervous about speaking at first but it felt quite empowering afterwards. I definitely recommend it. You get a sense of unity. It builds your commitment to the union and the causes as well.” Khedija Doukani from Waltham Forest, first-time delegate and speaker
12
educate Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU)
fails to acknowledge all of these concerns, instead focusing on structural reform to push all schools into multi-academy trusts (MATs) by 2030. “We saw the same push for academisation in 2016. We didn’t need or want academisation then, nor do we need or want it now,” she said. (see Kevin and Mary’s speech, pages 16-17). SEND: fighting for a fair future Jenny Williams from Croydon proposed a motion, SEND – fighting for a fair future, denouncing a £2.5 billion shortfall in funding: “Money is at the heart of the problem. We must fight for a fairer, properly funded education that our pupils, especially those with SEND, deserve.” Latifa Abouchakra from Ealing said: “If they can ringfence money for military spending, they can ringfence money for SEND support.” Workload and a national contract Delegates voted for the union to press the Government to remove clause 51.7 from the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD), which says: “A teacher must work such reasonable additional hours as necessary to enable effective discharge of a teacher’s professional duties.” Proposer Gary McVeigh-Kaye of North Yorkshire said: “I’m calling on the NEU to
