NEWS
Teachers do most
unpaid overtime
Forming links: Teachers and heads from the UK, retary of the National Union of
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh earlier this week
by Chris Parr
Teachers, said: “The findings of the
Which professions work the most overtime? The top 10:
survey confirm what we already
• Teachers
Conference discusses
Teaching unions have hit out at the know. Teachers are working unac-
• Health and social services managers
“unacceptably long hours” worked ceptably long hours and the pres-
by teachers after the profession sure to do so remains as a result of
• Legal professionals
Connecting Classrooms
once again topped the table of those the endless initiatives and pressures
• Functional managers
working unpaid overtime. that are now the hallmark of our • Corporate managers and senior officials
Analysis by the Trades Union schools.
• Business and statistical professionals
More than 120 teachers and school but having a direct link with a Congress shows that teachers, “It’s clear that the workforce
• Quality and customer care managers
leaders from the UK, Afghanistan, school in Kabul gives them the health and social service manag- remodelling agreement has made
Pakistan and Bangladesh have opportunity to gain a different ers and lawyers are most likely to no impact on the work/life balance
• Financial institution and office managers
met to discuss how young people perspective.” do unpaid overtime, with around for teachers. There is also a clear
• Production managers
should prepare for working in a Friba Amir, headteacher at half of all staff in these occupa- link between working too many • Managers in distribution, storage and retail
globalised world. the Afghani school, said the link tions regularly giving away unpaid hours and the high stress levels
The British Council event, with Falmouth was proving very hours. among teachers. It is vitally impor- confirmed that teachers had been age to their personal lives, not to
which took place at Wokefield popular among students. She told The research also found that tant that the government addresses “engulfed by the maelstrom of mention the quality of teaching that
Park near Reading earlier this us: “When I return from visits more than one in five teachers is this issue and takes its duty of care targets and bureaucracy” handed they are able to provide to their
week, brought the educationalists to England, the students always working “extreme overtime”, clock- seriously.” down by government. pupils. We must end the culture in
together to explore the effects of have so many questions for me, ing up more than 18 hours of extra Dr Mary Bousted, general secre- “Well over 250,000 teachers are which teachers have to account for
the Connecting Classrooms initia- particularly about the differences unpaid work each week. tary of the Association of Teachers working ‘extreme unpaid overtime’ every hour of every day that they
tive, which enables UK schools to in how schools work. Christine Blower, general sec- and Lecturers, said the findings and this must be doing untold dam- work,” she said.
form links with others across the “Many of the students here
world. in the UK only get one view of
Among the attendees was Afghanistan, and that is of the
Elizabeth Rudge, a teacher at war, and the way it is shown in
Conservatives outline education plans
Falmouth School in Cornwall, the media. However, working with
which is twinned with Norr Falmouth we have the opportunity The Conservatives would would introduce an education Bill “We will immediately change Dr John Dunford, general sec-
Private High School in Kabul, to emphasise our country’s culture, immediately expand the academies “within days of taking office”, in the law so we can set hundreds of retary of the Association of School
Afghanistan. and its education system, and talk programme and radically reform the clearest sign yet that the party is good schools free from political and College Leaders, told SecEd
Ms Rudge told us: “Of all the about the similarities as well as the Ofsted if they come to power at the keen to make education one of the interference and enable them to that he welcomed the Conservative
places to link with, Afghanistan differences.” next election, the shadow schools central battlegrounds of its general help struggling schools. We will Party’s assertion that success-
is one of the most interesting. For more information on secretary has confirmed. election campaign. enable them to re-open as acad- ful leaders could help to support
Most of our kids only have Connecting Classrooms, visit Speaking to a conference for Mr Gove said his Bill would emies this September,” he said. schools in difficulty.
media images of the country to www.britishcouncil.org/learning- 150 “outstanding” headteachers on “sweep away restrictions on the Mr Gove also said 100 schools However, he added: “The
draw their conclusions from, connecting-classrooms.htm Monday (March 1), Michael Gove creations of new academies and that had been in special measures improvement plan for the 100
said that a new Tory government radically reform and re-write the for more than a year would be schools should take account of
Ofsted inspection framework to placed in the hands of school lead- the differences between them, and
put a new focus on saving failing ers with a “proven track record of should not assume that an identical
schools”. success”. solution can be universally applied.”
Catholic schools set for shake-up
Pressure?
The biggest shake-up ever of Parts of the North will see the schools, removing the necessity for
Catholic secondary schools in creation of new 11 to 14 or 14 to 11-plus tests. Some of the proposals
Northern Ireland, which will see the 19 schools, while groups of up to are expected to be more radical than
sector remove academic selection, three schools will be amalgamated others. All of them, however, will
has been given the green light. into one. In some areas, it will be be put out to consultation.
Cardinal Sean Brady, the head suggested that single-sex schools The models proposed will also
of the Catholic Church in Ireland, become co-educational, while other fall into line with the Church’s anti-
announced the sweeping review, parts of the North will consider academic selection stance.
which will allow for the creation federations. Most of the change, which is
of innovative new models of post- The Northern Ireland expected to take place over the next
I want to belong to a union that understands
primary education. Commission for Catholic decade, will be incremental rather
a modern teacher’s workload. Voice gets on
Over the coming weeks, a series Education’s Post-Primary Review than institutions facing immedi-
with negotiating, arbitrating, and consulting
of announcements will be made, involved 16 separate projects, each ate, wholesale upheaval. There is
which will have major implications aiming tackle the problem of under- also potential for Catholic schools
on my behalf, giving me the freedom to get
for every grammar and secondary subscribed schools. The review aims to form learning partnerships with
on with what matters most – my job. school in the Catholic sector. to create a network of all-ability others outside the sector.
For over 40 years, Voice has been
speaking up for professionals
working in early years, childcare
and education. Our members
trust us to guide them through
the issues affecting their lives
inside the classroom and out.
Isn’t it time your voice was heard?
Call our friendly team
Drink-aware: Top rugby clubs from across England are to deliver sports-based alcohol
education to teenagers as part of the Side Stepping Alcohol Abuse campaign. The
01332 378 008
project will see trained staff from rugby clubs including Leicester Tigers, Newcastle
Falcons and London Harlequins encouraging 13 to 19-year-olds to think carefully about
Visit our website at
alcohol and its effects. One activity involves students wearing ‘beer goggles’, which re-
create the effects of heavy drinking (see picture). The project is rolling out to 12 areas
www.voicetheunion.org.uk
nationally after receiving a £100,000 grant from the charity Drinkaware. For more
information, visit www.drinkaware.co.uk
4 SecEd • March 4 2010
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