NEWS

‘Flawed and unnecessary’ GTCW Code

The NASUWT has called on the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) to withdraw its proposed Code of Professional Conduct and Practice for teachers, arguing that it is unnecessary and intrudes into teachers’ personal lives.

The Union has already mounted a similar campaign over the introduction of the Code of Conduct and Practice by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) and is poised to take further action in Wales if the GTCW does not withdraw its proposals. The NASUWT has responded to the GTCW’s consultation on the plans, stating that it is acting outside its remit by seeking to govern the way in which teachers discharge their duties and responsibilities and conduct their private lives.

The Code must be withdrawn, the NASUWT believes, and replaced with advice and guidance that supports teachers to protect themselves from complaint and wrongdoing. On the basis of legal advice, the GTCW is also seeking to introduce new registration rules that set out its registration and deregistration practices.

The NASUWT also has serious concerns about these plans as the new rules appear to go beyond the GTCW’s remit into areas already regulated by other bodies. The Union believes that this not only seeks to give the GTCW powers to which it is not entitled, but diverts the GTCW’s focus from its primary function of regulation.

The NASUWT has further concerns that the GTCW may seek to use the introduction of the rules and the Code of Professional Conduct and Practice to justify a further rise in its registration fee.

The NASUWT will be making representations to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and using its representation on the GTCW to seek to block any attempts to introduce these proposals.

The NASUWT will also be opening an online petition on its website at www.nasuwt.org.uk for members to register their opposition to the Code. Members will be provided shortly with further details of how to sign the petition.


Action warning over redundancy threat

The NASUWT has warned the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) that it will consider industrial action to protect jobs in the face of the mounting threat of teacher redundancy.

WAG statistics released earlier this year have revealed that the funding gap between England and Wales has grown to over £500 per pupil and the NASUWT is concerned that the lack of adequate and appropriate funding is leading to teacher redundancy, rather than falling rolls or surplus places.

The situation is further compounded by funding disparities between local authorities, which means that in some areas the financial gap between pupils in these areas and England is even greater. Flintshire, where teacher redundancies have already been announced, has one of the largest shortfalls in pupil funding, at £288 below the Welsh average.

Although the NASUWT has welcomed the setting up of a review of school funding by the new Education Minister, Leighton Andrews, and will contribute to the review, the Union believes little will be achieved unless more money is found to address the funding gap. At the same time, teachers are also facing the threat of widespread school reorganisation as a result of the reform of 14-19 education. Schools and sixth forms are being threatened with closure and amalgamation, which could have a devastating impact on teachers’ jobs.

Powys County Council has recently published a draft report on the future of secondary education in the county, which proposes a number of options, one of which involves the closure of six high schools. The NASUWT has already stated that, unless there is a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, it will take industrial action if teachers’ jobs are threatened.


Tool to stay safe online

An NASUWT member has helped develop a new way for schools to assess their online safety. Ron Richards has been working on a new diagnostic tool for schools to review their e-safety policies and practices. The online 360° safe Self Review Tool allows schools to assess their current provisions for Internet safety and security and suggests improvement actions they could consider. It also provides links to resources and good practice guides and allows schools to compare their provisions with other schools. Ron has developed the tool through his work as E-Safety

Consultant for the South West Grid for Learning Trust, which provides broadband and learning services to schools in the South West of England. The tool is available to all schools, not just those in the South West region. The website also includes downloadable template policies on cyber safety and gives the opportunity for schools that meet the required benchmarks for e-safety to apply for a 360° safe eSafety Mark. The website can be found at www.360safe.org.uk.

www.nasuwt.org.uk