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EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES Continued from page 26


develop whole-school reporting strategies for discrimination or bullying
use education to prevent stereotypes and prejudice.

Changing attitudes and changing policies around these issues benefits every teacher in every school. Discrimination and bullying can affect everyone in the school community – pupils and staff. That is why effective and practical strategies for equality are vital.

Sharing successes
The NUT’s network for disabled teachers has grown in numbers over the last year. It allows the union to share examples of when employers have made changes to the working conditions of teachers who have disabilities, chronic illnesses or mental health conditions, so that they can stay in teaching. Recently, several hearing impaired teachers have been put in touch by email to share coping strategies and ‘know how’ about acoustics.

If you are willing to share your story about how your employer made adjustments, please join the network by emailing fairerfutures@nut.org.uk.

Calling all job sharers! The NUT’s advice on job sharing is to be revised and updated. Please get in touch if you are job sharing and have positive experiences to share with others by emailing fairerfutures@nut.org.uk

Union events
Each year, the NUT organises a full programme of equality events, including training, conferences and campaigning activities. These provide an opportunity for members to share experiences and seek information and ideas that can influence their teaching practice. Our equality events calendar is widely circulated to encourage participation in NUT initiatives, ranging from the Women Chainmakers’ Festival in Dudley each September, to the Anthony Walker Memorial Lecture each October.

The NUT’s equality activities are an opportunity for members to find out how they might take steps to increase tolerance and respect for diversity and challenge prejudice and stereotypes. Look out for next year’s NUT equality events calendar on the website – www.teachers.org.uk – early in 2010.

In the classroom, too, there are year-round opportunities to recognise all aspects of diversity. The union has published an equality wallchart, Planning Your Year, which lists a range of national and international events that happen each year, such as International Women’s Day in March, Mental Health Action Week in April, National Family Week in May, and the International Day Against Child Labour each June. Free copies of the wallchart are available by emailing: r.mcneil@nut.org.uk. It lists useful websites, many of which offer teachers’ resources.

Local activities
NUT equality officers are already carrying out a range of local activities to address equality issues. For example:
earlier this year the NUT’s Stoke-on-Trent division organised anti-racism training for school representatives
in Waltham Forest and Wakefield divisions, a copy of a Love Music Hate Racism DVD has been sent to all schools
in Sandwell, the NUT has sent its recently published resource about Mary MacArthur and the Women Chainmakers in the Black Country to every school
in East Sussex, a regular newsletter produced for supply teachers has led to a forum being established to give a voice to their concerns and strengthen their position
NUT members in Kent recently ran a highly successful conference about teachers and stress. The latest NUT guidance on tackling stress, including a teacher wellbeing ‘ready reckoner’, was circulated to delegates. Backing up local activity in this way provides members with a definitive basis on which to address issues.

Resources
You’ll find lots of information about the NUT’s Fairer Futures project, and about issues affecting women teachers, black teachers, disabled teachers and LGBT teachers, on the NUT website at www.teachers.org.uk – click on ‘equal opportunities’.

For information about flexible working and family-friendly policies, go to www.teachers.org.uk/conditions and browse section 3.

If you’re looking for teaching resources that make it quick and easy to bring equality issues into the curriculum, try:

Out in School – Talking about Sexual Orientation and Challenging Homophobia across the Key Stage 4 Curriculum. Available from the Terrence Higgins Trust, tel 0845 122 1200.

Genderwatch – Still Watching – a pack of materials to help schools address gender equality issues (ISBN: 978-858564012).

Disabling Imagery? A Teaching Guide to Disability and Moving Image Media available from www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/disability.

Born To Be Great – A Charter On Promoting The Achievement Of Black Caribbean Boys can be downloaded from www.teachers.org.uk/resources/pdf/Black-Youngsters.pdf.

December events:
1 December – World Aids Day
2 December – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
3 December – International Day of Disabled People
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