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Make your mark (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26)

Regrettably, the fixation of politicians with structures rather than standards shows no sign of abating. Labour intends to continue the expansion of its academies programme, albeit with a change of emphasis on types of sponsor and some tightening up of their freedoms.

The Conservatives promise to put ‘rocket boosters’ under the academies programme. They would allow any school to apply to be an academy and would extend the academies programme to primary schools.

The Liberal Democrats propose replacing academies with a new model of sponsor-managed schools. Local authorities would select sponsors and have strategic oversight of these and all other schools.

Class size is another issue that looks likely to be on the agenda. The Liberal Democrats have a policy of cutting infant class sizes to 15 and the Conservatives have recently spoken out in support of smaller classes. Labour is not proposing at this stage any change to the current class size limits.

Stand up for education

Included with this edition of The Teacher is your copy of the ’Stand up for education’ campaign card, produced jointly by the NUT and the University and College Union. This card is being sent to all prospective parliamentary candidates and they will be asked to sign up in support.

Are you registered to vote?

Don’t forget that you need to be on the electoral register to vote. For information on how to register and to download a registration form visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Further information

Look our for further articles on election issues in The Teacher and Teachers in Wales this term. And keep an eye on the NUT website – www.teachers.org.uk – for the latest information about education policy announcements from the different parties and the NUT’s campaigning activities.

Share your views

The NUT wants the voice of the teaching profession to be heard loud and clear during the forthcoming election campaign. We would like to hear what you think the priorities of the political parties should be for teachers.

Imagine you find yourself stuck in a lift with the leaders of the main political parties. This is your opportunity to tell them the one thing they could do that would improve the lives of teachers and pupils. What would that be? Please email your suggestion to generalelection@nut.org.uk.

We will make sure the party leaders get to hear what you think. No doubt they will appreciate some free advice from the NUT!


The NUT’s position

As well as responding to proposals put forward by the political parties, the NUT will be advocating its own approach based on the following core principles:
• pay freezes and attacks on the public sector pension arrangements agreed in 2005 are completely unacceptable
• teachers should be trusted with the curriculum and have a proper work-life balance
• every child and every community should have a good, local, publicly funded school
• there should be maximum class sizes of 20 by 2020
• the average education funding per pupil in the state sector should match average per pupil funding in the private sector
• teachers and support staff are entitled to high quality professional development throughout their working lives, including individually funded professional development and regular sabbaticals for research and study
• any accountability system for schools must be based on bottom-up, externally moderated self-evaluation that supports, not punishes, teachers and their school communities
• there should be a framework curriculum whose purpose is both to offer a broad and balanced entitlement to all children and young people and to foster innovation and creativity in every school
• assessment should support the learning of children and young people, not the creation of high stakes league tables and proxies for school self-evaluation.

As always, the NUT will retain its independence of political parties up to and beyond the general election. This independence allows us to speak uncompromisingly for teachers.

For the first time in a general election, however, the union will benefit from having a political fund and being able to explicitly campaign against the British National Party (BNP). This is particularly important when you reflect on the BNP having two Members of the European Parliament selected last year and its leader intending to contest the parliamentary seat of Barking. There is also a real danger that the BNP could build on being the second largest party on Barking and Dagenham Council and take overall control of the council. The union’s political fund will be targeted on this and other areas where the BNP poses the greatest threat.

The NUT has already met with Barking and Dagenham MPs and the leader of the council to help ensure a co-ordinated campaign against the BNP.
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