Union people

Union people Pippa Dowswell teaches A-level biology and is the NEU rep at City and Islington College in London. ‘My students never cease to amaze me’

What do you love about your job?

First and foremost, I enjoy being in the classroom interacting with young people. I teach biology in a sixth form college and my students never cease to amaze me with their enthusiasm, varied interests and engagement with the world. All despite the difficulties thrown at them this year and growing up under the shadow of the impending doom of climate change. I enjoy watching each cohort of students develop from unsure 16-year-olds into young people ready for the challenges of employment or university.

I also value the opportunity to share ideas with my colleagues, both in my subject and politically within the NEU.

What do you love about being in the union?

The strong sense of solidarity – both at the college I work at among my NEU colleagues and more widely within the local branch and the sixth form reps’ network. I am very proud to be part of a union that is working to effect change in the education system and be part of developing a more holistic, relevant curriculum for our young people.

What have you been up to lately?

In May, we took six days of strike action after a rapid change to our working practices without any meaningful consultation. This included being required to carry out interviews for prospective students in the evenings, graded lesson observations taking place during the pandemic, being refused the nationally agreed pay rise, and a restructure, which put members at risk of redundancy.

We held well-attended pickets in the mornings and management finally capitulated. Among other things, we have agreed on three afternoons of interviews, as opposed to the proposed 15, observations with Requires Improvement grading carried out during the pandemic will be removed, and we will receive backdated pay. A protocol is in place for meaningful consultation.

Now things are quietening down, I have a bit more time to indulge in the things I enjoy most – so lots of running, cycling and swimming.

What’s important to you right now?

Catching up with friends and family after this difficult year. I especially want to spend some time with my elderly parents and am also hoping to catch up with my sister who lives in Cyprus. The need to sort out my parents’ garden is also on my mind.

What do you do on your day off?

I don’t think I have taken the whole weekend off since I started teaching. Most weekends I will spend a lot of time outdoors, running with friends or cycling. Pre-Covid, I would take part in races, too – this is just starting to happen again. I also try to spend some time with my grown-up children – luckily, they both enjoy cycling.

Tell us something we don’t know.

For such an outdoorsy person, it is quite surprising that I hate cold water. I once, after making a lot of fuss, with a big queue behind me, got into Kenwood Ladies’ Pond in Hampstead, only to complain loudly and swim directly to the other steps to get out.

Pippa on the picket line at her college PHOTO by Kois Miah

The new elected DGS will join current DGSs Amanda Brown (left) and Rachel Curley

DGS election: your vote counts

FOR the first time, members will have an opportunity to elect one of the union’s senior officers, when elections for a new deputy general secretary (DGS) open next month.

The person elected will join the General Secretariat team, working alongside DGSs Rachel Curley and Amanda Brown (pictured, left) from January 2022, as the next stage in the transition to a final team of general secretary, elected DGS and appointed DGS by late 2023. The DGSs will work alongside joint general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney.

The elections will open on 4 October and close on 29 October. All members, other than student and associate members, are eligible to vote.

Look out for your voting paper, which will include statements from the candidates, and return it using the stamped, addressed envelope provided by 29 October.