www.sec-ed.com


Teachers plan pensions protest at Parliament


by Pete Henshaw


As many as 25,000 teachers and lec- turers could descend on Parliament as the protests over changes to their pensions continue. Seven education unions have


announced a joint protest which will see their members marching through London on Wednesday, October 26. The date coincides with the


half-term meaning schools will not be disrupted, although the unions have not ruled out strike action if the ongoing talks with government break down.


Teachers are angry at a raft of


changes that will hit the value of their pensions. Plans include scrap- ping the teachers’ final salary pen- sion scheme and replacing it with a scheme linked to average career earnings and raising the retirement age for teachers to 66 in 2020 and then to 68. This is on top of increasing


employee contributions by 50 per cent from 6.4 per cent to 9.6 per cent by 2014. This will be phased in from next year and a consultation over the first of these rises in April 2012 is currently being carried out (see article, below). In addition, the government has


already changed the annual infla- tion-linked pension increase from the Retail Price Index (RPI) to the lower Consumer Price Index (CPI), which it is claimed will devalue pensions by up to 25 per cent. The joint campaign is called


Decent Pensions: Securing the Future for All and is being organised by the Association of School and College Leaders, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, National Association of Head Teachers, NASUWT, National Union of Teachers, University and College Union, and Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru. The unions are sending informa- tion to schools, colleges and uni-


versities along with petitions to be signed by staff on behalf of their school or college. All of the unions are aiming to


have one representative from every school in the maintained, academy and independent sectors in England and Wales present on the protest march. It is also hoped that all 25,000


petitions will be collected and pre- sented to MPs on the day. A joint statement said: “The pub-


lic has a right to know that cuts could ultimately affect the quality of education for young people as high calibre graduates rethink their career choice. We will also be challenging


the myths about how public sector pensions impact on taxpayers. “Teachers and lecturers never


take strike action lightly and for this reason the lobby has been organised during half-term to ensure there is no disruption to pupils or parents. However, if the government contin- ues to erode pensions, which they know are both affordable and sus- tainable, teachers will be left with no option but to take further action, including strike action. “We urge the government to


listen to the message that this lobby sends. Teachers cannot stand by and see their pensions eroded for purely political reasons.”


Free schools for profit? Not on my watch vows Clegg


Free schools must be open to all students and should never be run to make a profit, the deputy prime minister has said. Nick Clegg made the com-


ments this week as the first wave of 24 free schools opened across England. In his speech, he also called


Strike: Teachers walk out in June over cuts to their pensions


Consultation on April 2012 pensions hike


Teachers have until October to have their say on plans that will see them paying more money into their pen- sions next year. As part of wider public sector


pension reforms, the government has pledged to increase employee contributions by 50 per cent on average over three years – from 6.4 per cent to 9.6 per cent by 2015. The government is still locked


in talks with public sector unions over the wider pension plans, but has launched a series of consulta- tions to ask the workforce about the first round of increased contribu- tions for 2012/13. Ministers have already pledged


that workers earning less than £15,000 a year will see no increase, while those earning between £15,000 and £21,000 will only see a 0.6 per cent increase in 2012/13. However, in the consultation


over the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, the Department for Education is considering extending the 0.6 per cent threshold to £26,000. Under the proposals, headteach-


ers earning £100,000 will make an 8.4 per cent contribution (up two per cent) into their pension from April. This equates to an extra £1,206 a year after tax. A classroom teacher earning


SecEd • September 8 2011


£25,700 a year will make a seven per cent contribution (up 0.6 per cent). This equates to an extra £122 a year after tax. An experienced classroom


teacher earning £35,000 a year will make a 7.6 per cent contribution (up 1.2 per cent). This equates to an extra £420 a year after tax. The government says it is still


negotiating with unions over the increased contributions for 2013/14 and 2014/15, although it has com- mitted to its plans to push through the 3.2 per cent increase by the end of this period. It says that separate consultations will take place next year on the contribution hikes for 2013/14 and 2014/15. Danny Alexander, chief secre-


tary to the Treasury, said: “The government remains committed to securing the full Spending Review savings of £2.3 billion in 2013/14 and £2.8 billion in 2014/15, requir- ing each scheme to find savings equivalent to a 3.2 percentage point increase in member contributions. Separate scheme-specific discus- sions will make proposals by the end of October on how these sav- ings are achieved.” You can download and respond


to the pensions consultation at www.education.gov.uk/consultations


upon education secretary, Michael Gove, to make sure that the second wave of free schools are opened in “poorer” neigh- bourhoods or in areas “crying out” for school places. The free schools initiative


allows charities, parent and teach- er groups, and other organisations to set up academy schools which are state-funded but independent of local authority control. Currently, the schools must


be run under a charitable frame- work, but a number of commen- tators have called for companies to be allowed to run the schools on a for-profit basis, including journalist Toby Young, who is setting up his own free school in west London. Mr Gove has also previously


said that he does see a role for the private sector when it comes to free schools. During an address in south London, Mr Clegg admitted that


the schools are controversial and that they carry risks, but he believes they will be acceptable if they reduce social-segregation and are not just available for the privileged. He said that the aim is to


increase diversity and provide more choice for parents, not to make a profit in the state-funded education sector. However, he added: “Let me


be clear what I want to see from free schools. I want them to be available to the whole community – open to all children and not just the privileged few. I want them to be part of a school system that releases opportunity, rather than entrenching it. “They must not be the preserve


of the privileged few – creaming off the best pupils while leaving the rest to fend for themselves. Causing problems for and draining resources from other nearby schools. So let me give you my assurance: I would never tolerate that.” Mr Clegg continued: “The coa-


lition has made it clear that our over-riding social policy objec- tive is improving social mobility. Reducing social segregation; mak- ing sure what counts in our society are ability and drive, not privilege and good connections. “Free schools will only be


acceptable so long as they pro- mote those goals.” However, Brian Lightman,


general secretary at the Association of School and College Leaders, said the schools could “seriously jeopardise” the social mobility strategy. He explained: “Half of the free


schools established this year are not in highly deprived communi- ties and many are in areas that do not have a shortage of places. “This creates unaffordable


surplus places in neighbouring schools, taking away resources from the young people there and affecting schools’ capacity to afford a high quality curriculum and the staffing they need.” Christine Blower, general


secretary of the National Union of Teachers, argued that there is no evidence to say the free schools will increase social mobility and cited similar initia- tives in America and Sweden. She added: “State education


funded by taxpayers’ money should not be handed over to pri- vate companies to run for profit, or indeed for no profit whatso- ever. This is nothing short of an attempt to break down coherent and fair state education in this country.”


Call for PSHE to be core


PSHE must become a core subject in the wake of the London riots, an expert has told SecEd. The Department for Education


(DfE) is currently running a con- sultation into the PSHE curriculum looking at what improvements can be made in teaching of the subject and what parts of the curriculum, if any, should be made statutory. The government, which


launched the consultation in July and wants all responses in by November 30, has already ruled out the subject as a whole becom- ing statutory within the national curriculum, but has said it could include some statutory elements of PSHE if there is evidence that it will benefit students. However, speaking to SecEd


this week, the consultant editor of our sister title, the British Journal


of School Nursing, said that the role of PSHE was even more vital in light of the summer riots. Emma Croghan said that PSHE


enables students to feel part of a community and the subject should be taken just as seriously as maths and English. She explained: “PSHE needs to be treated as a core subject, like maths and English. Teachers need the same levels of support and training that they receive in these subjects, and the subject should be treated equally to other subjects. “PSHE is only one element of


any solution to social issues but it can be used as a vehicle to engender a sense of community and obliga- tion to the community – from an early age understanding our roles and responsibilities to others in our community, and others’ roles and responsibilities to us.”


In the consultation document,


the DfE asks for evidence on what the core outcomes of PSHE should achieve and what students should be expected to know. Ms Croghan added: “One other


strong element of PSHE is the abil- ity it gives us to work with families and children and young people, and the wider community, which can only help social cohesion. “However, there are many other


factors that must be addressed to engage with young people – to support them and provide places to go and people for them to talk to, to allow them to have a voice that is heard, and to help them develop aspirations and confidence in their futures.” You can download and respond


to the PSHE consultation at www.education.gov.uk/consultations


NEWS In brief Librarians honoured


Three school librarians have been named on the honour list for the 2011 School Librarian of the Year Award. They are Helen Emery from King Edward VI School in Staffordshire, Wendy Roberts from Ardingly College in West Sussex, and Carol Webb from Forest Hill School in London. The winning librarian will be unveiled later this term and profiles of the trio will appear online in the coming weeks. The cross-phase award was created in 2004 and is run by the School Library Association. Visit: www.sla.org.uk


Home tuition rise


Almost a quarter of secondary school-aged students have received some kind of home tuition – an increase of five per cent since 2005. A study of 2,739 students by the Sutton Trust also found that the highest concentration of students receiving private tuition is in Greater London (38 per cent). The study asked students the reason for their extra tuition and 57 per cent said it was to help for a particular exam, while 42 per cent said the tuition was for school work in general.


Stopping abuse


A campaign to challenge the attitudes of teenagers to violence and abuse in relationships has been launched by the Home Office. NSPCC figures show that 75 per cent of girls and half of boys report that they have experienced some form of emotional abuse. The television and cinema campaign is aimed at 13 to 18-year-olds and hopes to help teenagers recognise abusive behaviour at an early stage, before it escalates to physical violence. Adverts will run until October 16 and can be viewed on the campaign website. Visit: www.direct.gov. uk/thisisabuse


Academy boarders


A Middlesex school has become the first academy to take boarders, with more than 40 students starting term this month. Harefield Academy, which opened six years ago for boys and girls aged between 11 an 18, is a specialist sports college and among its first cohort of boarders are two young footballers sponsored by Watford Football Club. Two other academies, Priory in Lincoln and Wellington in Wiltshire, have also declared an interest in opening to boarders. There are around 30 state schools in the UK which have boarding accommodation and more than 4,000 pupils are boarding at these schools.


Meals cost more


The price of school meals has risen in two-thirds of schools across England a study by Which? has shown. On average, prices have risen by 2.5 per cent since last year, but in some areas they have increased by as much as 25 per cent. The increase also coincides with a decline in the number of students eating school meals. The study says that 55 per cent of students “need” to take school meals to keep costs down, however only 45 per cent do and in some areas this figure is as low as 25 per cent.


3


Photo: Lucie Carlier


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16