P6: Upfront

Lessons from Auschwitz

Over 200 students from across the country were honoured on 12 July at an event at Church House, Westminster, for their outstanding work following their participation in the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project last winter.

BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson, whose grandparents had to flee Nazi Germany to escape the Holocaust, was a guest speaker, along with actor Ollie Barbieri.

For further information about the Holocaust Educational Trust visit www.het.org.uk.

Honouring our beginnings

The annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ festival in July saw NUT staff from the South West Regional office providing information about current campaigns, collecting over 1,000 signatures on the Fair Pensions For All petition and giving away the now traditional ‘Apples from the teacher’ to all who agree to read Union campaign literature.

An NUT trade union and education themed crossword for adults and colouring book for children with pictures of key moments in trade union history proved popular during this year’s unseasonal downpours.

NUT South West Regional Secretary Andy Woolley told The Teacher: “This year’s festival was better than ever. We got substantial support from members of other unions for our stand on public sector pensions and the Fair Pensions For All campaign.

“A Tolpuddle highlight is the performance by children and young people. This year 200 youngsters from Theatretrain captivated the Saturday afternoon audience with From a Spark To A Flame – a musical re-enactment of the story of the martyrs.”

Inspiring the future

The NUT is supporting Inspiring the Future, a free service that hopes to have 100,000 people from all professions going into state schools and colleges to talk about their jobs, careers and the education routes they took.

Schools and colleges can register to be matched with volunteers interested in mentoring, enterprise activity and serving as a school governor at www.inspiringthefuture.org.

Inspiring the Future is working with the Times Educational Supplement to develop a careers portal via their TES Connect website. Part of this will be an extensive searchable library of YouTube-style videos of people talking about their jobs.