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NUT conference 2012

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Trust teachers

NUT President Marilyn Harrop received a standing ovation for her humorous and heartfelt inaugural address to Conference. She described her transition from miner’s daughter to where she stood today.

She thanked all who had given her support, encouragement and inspiration and said she was appreciative of the fine example set by women NUT members.

Marilyn stands by the pledges she made when standing for election: working to defend jobs, pay and pensions, promote high quality education for all, protect teacher professionalism, and represent all members.

“Teachers deserve a properly valued and rewarding profession that plays a critical part in ensuring high standards for students,” she said.

“As a profession, we have the trust of parents, but not the trust of the Government those parents elected.”

Five is too young to fail

Delegates voted overwhelmingly against the introduction of the year 1 phonics testing this June.

John Holmes, NUT Executive, said the test will not be educationally useful, and “pilots show it will label two-thirds of children as failures at five or six”.

Jennie Harper, Croydon, said “the message being sent to parents is that the teaching of phonics is a magic reading medicine” but all children are different and there’s no one-size-fits-all way of teaching anything.

Conference voted to take the matter up with the Government, support members facing increased workload because of the test, inform parents of the NUT’s concerns, boycott the test should the results be used in league tables and promote its Reading for Pleasure campaign (www.teachers.org.uk/reading).

See page 4 for more on phonics. 

End LGBT bullying

A motion moved by Debs Gwynn, St Helens, on LGBT equality, instructed the Executive to prioritise the issue of homophobic bullying and campaign for homophobic and transphobic incidents in schools to be recorded and figures published.

It also called for a national training programme for teachers and a model anti-bullying policy.

Vision for education

“We need an overall vision of what we are fighting for, which can inform our campaign and policy work,” said Jon Duveen from Cambridgeshire. It was agreed to look at the NUT’s ‘Vision for education’ statement to ensure it addresses the many challenges faced by teachers.

Trade union rights

Ian Murch, Executive, warned delegates that the Conservatives were planning a new trade union reform campaign. Conference condemned Government attacks on employment protection, in particular extending the unfair dismissal qualifying period to two years and requiring claimants to pay tribunal fees.

Delegates voted for the Executive to work with other TUC-affiliated unions to oppose plans to tighten anti-union legislation.

Youth unemployment

Moving a motion on youth unemployment, Deirdre Murphy, Bedford, reminded delegates of the grim reality of the jobs market for young people.

Martin Allen, Ealing, called for a campaign to re-introduce the EMA. Conference also called on the Government to address youth unemployment, including introducing proper paid apprenticeships.

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