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Your union

Shakespeare United

The NUT is delighted to be working with members of the performers’ union, Equity, on a project that will form part of the Cultural Olympiad for 2012.

The idea began with a letter to Tony Blair in 2004, proposing a celebration of the works of William Shakespeare, drawing in people in all parts of the UK. The project would involve children, schools and teachers, as well as creating jobs all over Britain for professional performers and bringing live work in an enjoyable format to many who’d otherwise never see it.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport asked if the proposal could be tied to the bid for the London Olympics. Naturally the Equity members said yes – and it’s grown promisingly since then. It’s now called Shakespeare United for 2012, and is attracting support all over the UK.

Anne Mallach, NUT London regional officer, has joined the Shakespeare United Steering Committee, and the members of Equity are keen to have close ties with the NUT to make the initiative a success.

We hope to include further information in the next issue of The Teacher, with details of how you can get involved.


100 years ago

The Schoolmaster, 15 January 1910

News and Comments

It has been suggested by the Board of Agriculture that school children shall be trained to go out in bands and massacre the pernicious insects that exist at the expense of farmers’ crops.

Instead of stealing birds’ eggs, boys will be induced to use their powers of destruction on the grubs of moths and butterflies, and we trust they will find beetle-hunting as exciting as rat-hunting.

The little girl who says to her mother – “Look at this pitty fly me’s killed”, will be cuffed if it proves to be the harmless bumble bee instead of a nasty wasp. Yet one sees difficulties in conveying the new instruction. Will children understand why it is a virtue to amputate a slug and a vice to perform a like operation on a centipede which unnaturally devours its own kind! Will they realise why it’s perfectly legitimate to cut up a wireworm but totally indefensible to pull pussy’s tail?

For children have not yet acquired the convenient grown-up qualities of humbug and inconsistency, and are often sadly deficient in common sense.


My role in the union
The young teachers’ rep

Dan Thompson is young teachers’ rep for Windsor and Maidenhead division and chair of the South East young teachers’ network steering group.

When did you first become active in the union?
I became an activist as an NQT when I was introduced to my school rep, who was also the local division secretary. The union had reinvigorated the young teachers’ network and wanted young teacher reps in every division. At a local division meeting I became that rep. I was put on to the regional council where I suggested a regional event – and was charged with organising it.

What does your role involve?
As the rep, I attend local executive meetings, getting involved in young teachers’ activities and making links with other divisions locally to run events and stalls such as at Reading Pride and our SATs Saturday. As chair of the regional steering group, I organise and chair meetings, make decisions on local activities and report back to regional council. I contact members and tell them what’s going on (through www.twitter.com/nutsoutheastyt), for example the ‘Jobs, Education, Peace’ demonstration in Brighton.

What activities are you currently engaged in?
I am looking at how to build on the South East young teachers’ conference to increase activity in local divisions and get them to work together.

What are the best aspects of the role?
Getting young members involved in union activity and having them see that the union is not just there for older members. It is useful in this to have the support of the union, and to draw on the expertise and experience of individuals I have met at the NUT’s annual and young teachers’ conferences. I also have a supportive regional council and regional office.

Any bad moments?
I ordered a range of T-shirts for the pride events being held in our region, spending loads of time talking to the supplier, only to find when they arrived that they had been misprinted!

What changes would you like to see?
I’d like to see more young members involved in the union, feeling it is their union and there to support them. The NUT’s young teachers’ network has been built up greatly over the last few years, owing a lot to the support of the national union and late general secretary Steve Sinnott. It needs more young members to get involved to keep it going and moving forward. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52