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General Secretary leads the Campaign against the Education & School Standards Bill
Since 1997 there have been fundamental improvements in nursery education, school buildings, infant class sizes and ICT to name but a few. These are very real achievements with the potential to change youngsters’ lives - young people from the toughest backgrounds. The Government’s optimism behind these improvements has however been replaced by the pessimism of an idea which says that a good local school for every child is unachievable. The Government’s achievements have been obscured by the damaging structural and marketisation proposals in the current Bill. The recent decisions by MPs were ultimately theirs alone. The NUT has, and always will, make the education arguments, and I am proud that my Union has been putting the optimistic case - the case for teaching and learning to be at the centre of effective reform.
24 March 2006

Government fails to deal with school funding problems
Commenting on the Government’s response to a highly critical report from the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee on last year’s school funding crisis, John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said: “Despite the Select Committee’s recommendations, the Government is refusing to ensure it has the hard evidence needed to prevent last year’s funding fiasco being repeated. It intends to rely on the same information that it did last year. “Either that information is inadequate or the Government just pays it no heed. Whichever is the case it is the schools that suffer. In these circumstances, the Government’s minimum guarantee is hardly a guarantee.
03 November 2004

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Subject Responsibility in Primary Schools - Is NUT Help needed in YOUR School?


The biggest reduction in above-scale payments has undoubtedly been in the primary sector and the replacement of management allowances with a smaller number of TLRs has made subject coordination and responsibility a bigger issue than ever. The NUT gave sound advice about this when school-based talks about restructuring were going on over a year ago.


 


But some Heads have continued to argue that subject coordination is every teacher’s responsibility. This is, quite categorically, not so. The crucial sentences are to be found in Q41 of the RIG Restructuring FAQs – explore these from www.teachernet.gov.uk:


 


…. teachers could, not unreasonably, be asked to contribute to discussions on, for example, appropriate syllabuses, courses, pedagogy and methodology and to give the headteacher and other colleagues the benefit of his/her expertise/experience in a particular area or field. 


 


In cases where responsibilities exceed or lie outside these parameters (for example, where the co-ordination of subjects across the curriculum entails leading and managing other teachers), it would not be reasonable for teachers to undertake them without additional remuneration. 


 


If you don’t have a TLR, you can’t be made responsible. You can and should contribute your expertise but you are not the person accountable. If any other line is pushed at you, then contact  the NUT. It’s a battle, but the Union will fight it with you.


 


A further note of caution. Some colleagues have been offered poorly defined positions on the leadership spine only to have multiple subject coordination thrust at them, while at the same time losing the protection of the maximum 190/195 days and maximum 1265 hours of working time for classroom teachers. 


 


They also have the additional obligation to carry out such duties of the head teacher as are ‘reasonably delegated’, in addition to all of the professional duties of classroom teacher posts. If you are in this position and your workload is causing you concern, then you would be well advised to seek NUT help.

25 January 2007