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Upfront
NEWS IN BRIEF
Conference call
The NUT will be hosting fringe meetings and fish & chip suppers at all three main political party conferences this autumn. Entry is by invitation only and numbers are limited. NUT members attending the conferences should collect their invitations from the NUT stand.
Liberal Democrats Liverpool, 21 Sept. NUT/NASUWT/ATL fringe 'England's Schools – a free for all?', 1-2pm, Hall 3B. NUT fish & chip supper 8–9.15pm, Grace Suite, Hilton Hotel.
Labour Manchester, 28 Sept. NUT/NASUWT/ATL fringe (as above) 1-2pm, Charter 7. NUT fish & chip supper 7.30–9.30pm, Alto Room, Radisson Hotel.
Conservative Birmingham, 5 Oct. NUT/NASUWT/ATL fringe (as above), 5.30–6.45pm, Hall 10B. NUT/ATL fringe 'Make assessment measure up', 12.30–2pm, Hall 8A. NUT fish & chip supper 7.30–9pm, Sonata Room, Hyatt Regency Hotel.
The case against cuts
The TUC has produced a pamphlet All Pain No Gain – the case against cuts arguing that the Government’s planned public sector cuts will not cut the national budget deficit, and setting out alternative strategies. Download it from
www.tuc.org.uk/publicsector or call 020 7467 1294.
Pupil premium pressure
The coalition Government has pledged to fund a premium for disadvantaged pupils from outside the schools budget, to improve support for the poorest and encourage more balanced school admissions.
The premium figure will be announced after the Comprehensive Spending Review on 20 October, but Save the Children is calling for £3,000 per child to close the attainment gap. Join the campaign at
www.savethechildren.org.uk/endchildpoverty.
Exam paper bias?
Parenting charity the NCT has raised concerns about this year’s school exam papers. The charity says questions in a GCSE chemistry paper and a Key Stage 3 SATs paper give misleading information about infant formula milk, and asks whether they might have been subject to the influence of commercial organisations.
The charity has presented evidence to Ofqual and the Charity Commission, and is demanding an investigation into commercial influence on exam papers. More at www.
nctpregnancyandbabycare.com/ press-office/press-releases (go to 23 July).
Assessment reform – the campaign continues
After the 2010 SATs boycott, the NUT has reaffirmed its commitment to reforming school assessment with the publication of a joint NUT/ ATL document Make Assessment Measure Up, which calls for an independent review of national curriculum tests.
Key Stage tests – SATs – do not drive up standards, say the two unions. They merely cause additional stress for pupils, teachers and parents. They are also not a reliable measure of schools’ success, making league tables misleading.
Christine Blower, NUT General Secretary, said: “The fact that members in over a quarter of schools boycotted the Key Stage 2 SATs this year, and that very many who didn’t take part remain deeply opposed to the current high-stakes testing system, is a very clear message to the Secretary of State.”
ATL General Secretary Mary Bousted added: “While rethinking assessment, the Government should also rethink school accountability and invest in developing teachers, which is the only sure route to better achievement all round.”
Make Assessment Measure Up is available to download at
www.teachers.org.uk/assessment. Read more about the ongoing campaign for assessment reform on page 14.
Out and proud!
The NUT was at numerous LGBT pride marches around the country this summer, promoting the message that homophobia and transphobia are unacceptable in classrooms and staffrooms and highlighting the support the Union offers to LGBT members. Pictured are NUT members at Pride London on 3 July.
Jersey teachers celebrate pay settlement
Strike action by teachers in Jersey has been avoided after negotiations between the NUT and NASUWT and the States Employment Board led to a settlement that satisfies all parties. The agreement gives Jersey teachers a 2 per cent pay rise for 2010 and the same for 2011.
Also agreed is a contractual entitlement for teachers to have 10 per cent of their teaching time reserved for planning, preparation and assessment, and they will no longer be routinely expected to undertake tasks such as supervising lunch breaks and carrying out clerical duties. The States’ maternity leave policy will be revised to protect mothers’ contractual entitlements, and a joint review will be undertaken to develop a policy on maximum class sizes.
The NUT’s Christine Blower welcomed the agreement. “All parties at the negotiating table have had to work hard to settle this dispute,“ she said. “We have agreed a package of measures valuing the professionalism of teachers and supporting their commitment to delivering the highest standards of education for children and young people in Jersey.”
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