West Sussex nominate Martin and Hank

West Sussex Teachers Association have nominated Martin and Hank as vice presidents. The WSTA is fairly evenly divided on the pay campaign but members saw it as a debate on when rather than whether to take action. Martin and indeed Hank were seen as people who would fight their corner.

The vote was unanimous and a number of supply teachers who don't generally attend meetings were there. They wanted action over the appalling treatment of supply teachers and are becoming increasingly involved in the union as a result.

Striking a chord in Liverpool

One of the liveliest hustings meetings held so far took place in the Liner Hotel in Liverpool on Wednesday September 26th. Members of the Liverpool and Wirral NUT Associations met to listen to speeches, and ask questions, from the three candidates that had agreed to attend - Martin Powell-Davies, Roger King and Hank Roberts.

The tone of the debate was friendly but clearly brought out the different approaches between the candidates. Martin and Roger explained how a majority of the present NUT National Executive could not be relied on to vote for the action needed to defend teachers and education.

Martin’s call for the Union to enact the national ballot on pay alongside UNISON for joint action this November struck a chord. An emergency motion supporting this approach, moved by National Executive member Julie Lyon-Taylor, was later passed by the meeting. Both Julie and Robin Pye, St. Helen’s NUT Secretary, were also nominated for next year’s new elections for the NUT National Executive.

Unfortunately, there were not enough Wirral members attending to make any formal decisions, but the Liverpool Association voted overwhelmingly to nominate Martin Powell-Davies and Roger King. Martin thanked those attending for their support and urged them to take news from the meeting back to their schools and to urge colleagues to vote for change in the NUT when the election starts at the end of October.

Elsewhere, Martin was also nominated by the West Cheshire NUT Association.

Academies – exam shortcuts damage education

Academies – exam shortcuts damage education

May teachers already know that there is a big difference between the spin in favour of Academies and educational reality. But some new facts revealed at the Anti-Academies Alliance Steering Committee meeting in London on Saturday appalled a secondary science teacher like myself.

Roger Titcombe, a retired Headteacher who has been doggedly researching the actual exam performance of Academies, revealed graphs showing how many supposedly “successful” schools were simply playing the system to boost their 5 A*-C pass rate.

The news that many schools have used GNVQs to boost their league table scores will be of little surprise but Roger’s revelation that science education was particularly vulnerable in these supposedly “most improved” schools may be news to many of us. His figures suggested that, while concentrating on the English and Maths needed for the new exam statistics, science was being pushed aside in some schools. Results in one Academy showed a third of the pupils that has been entered for double award science doing so badly that their results were ungraded and none at all obtaining an A*-C grade.

There was a good turnout to the Steering Committee. We exchanged reports from campaigns across the country. Romayne Phoenix, a Green Party councillor, and I attended from Defend Education In Lewisham. Plans were made for further campaigning, including co-ordinated days of action to highlight how Academies are undermining comprehensive education.

Martin Powell-Davies

IPSWICH: Martin & Roger supported over Gill & Hank

IPSWICH: Martin & Roger supported over Gill & Hank

Ipswich Association nominated Martin Powell-Davies for the Vice President position at our General Meeting on Thursday 20th September.

Hank Roberts was put forward at first. His role in the Wembley anti-Academy occupation was acknowledged, but so was his unreliable voting record on the National Executive. After discussion, his nomination was withdrawn. There were also doubts about nominating a headteacher, Gill Goodswen, as President.

Everyone at the meeting agreed that Martin's visit to the Association a few years ago had left a good impression and those who had been to conferences knew well exactly what Martin stood for ! We concluded by agreeing to nominate Martin and Roger King.

The meeting also passed a motion calling for an immediate ballot on pay and united action with other public sector trade unions.

Roger Mackay, Ipswich NUT

Brown and Thatcher