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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE


NEW TEACHERS VOICE FEARS

NEW TEACHERS ANSWER THE BIG QUESTION

Current training and support for newly qualified teachers could in future, despite all the issues that still need to be addressed, come to be seen as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of provision, the NASUWT’s General Secretary has warned.

Sweeping attacks on pay and provisions for new teachers across the UK threaten the professional status of teachers and risk a future recruitment and retention crisis, Ms Keates argued, as she addressed delegates at the Union’s recent seminar for newly qualified teachers.

Coupled with the attack already being launched on teachers’ pensions, the plans to dismantle national frameworks of teachers’ pay and conditions, and changes to the performance management system, new entrants to the profession are facing a very challenging start to their careers, Ms Keates added.

“Many of these changes are being justified under the guise of tackling the nation’s deficit,” she said.

“But the fact is that this claim is nothing more than a smokescreen for what is clearly an ideological agenda that the country does not want, does not need and did not vote for.”

The impact of the cuts could be seen in teachers from across the UK reporting difficulties in securing permanent posts. Ms Keates assured members that the Union is continuing to lobby in Northern Ireland, England and Wales for a guaranteed post to allow every new teacher to complete their induction year to bring these nations in line with the system in Scotland.

The seminar was the third in an annual cycle of conferences and was chaired by Paula Roe [pictured right], NASUWT’s Senior Vice- President.

Along with providing guidance and support to members, the event was also designed to allow new teachers to provide feedback on the highs and lows of their first year in the job.

Many spoke of the high-quality support and guidance offered by their colleagues, induction mentors and local authorities and the positive relationships that they had developed with students. However, there were far too many who described the frustration of being denied their statutory entitlements on cover and PPA time and being subjected to bullying from management.

During the seminar, new teachers were able to attend a series of workshops covering a range of issues, including stress management and pupil behaviour.


The experiences of the new teachers attending seminars reflected the impact that the current programme of cuts and reforms is having on new entrants to the profession.

The NASUWT’s recent Big Question survey, to which thousands of teachers responded, found that the overwhelming majority of new teachers, wherever they teach in the UK, do not feel that government policies will improve education.

The survey found that:

74% of new teachers stated they could not afford to pay more towards their pension and 23% said they would leave the Teachers’ Pension Scheme if contributions increased;
36% were concerned about their job security;
73% felt there is a problem with pupil behaviour in schools and 83% felt the plans in England to increase the powers of teachers to search pupils would not help;
Excessive workload is a major problem for new teachers, with administrative tasks, class sizes and lesson planning being the main drivers of workload;
79% believe that proposals to remove the requirement for QTS in academies and free schools would undermine the provision of high-quality education;
72% did not think free schools would improve teacher quality.


For videos from the event, further advice, a range of resources for new teachers and to book a place at next year’s new teachers events, visit www.nasuwt.org.uk/Events or call the NASUWT’s Conferences and Events Team on 0121 453 6150.