No.8 Green Paper "Schools Building on Success"
The Executive agreed a statement celebrating comprehensive education in an initial reaction to the Green Paper. The statement rejected the proposals that would result in the reintroduction of a two tier system. It referred to the overwhelming evidence in support of the abolition of all forms of selection and access by all pupils of all abilities to comprehensive education, in schools by highly qualified and well-paid teachers. The Executive agreed to set up a working group to prepare the Union's detailed response to the Green Paper. Consideration would be given to a possible priority motion for Conference.
General Teaching Council
The Executive expressed grave concern over the decision of the GTC England that could result in deduction at source of the GTC fee, without the permission of the individual. This decision demonstrated the cavalier attitude of the GTC towards the teacher organisations' representatives and to the views of the teaching profession. The NUT had sought legal advice. The Executive agreed to make an approach to the employers to seek support in opposing any forced deductions at source. A priority motion for Conference would be considered subject to the content of the Regulations when published.
London Area Pay Allowances Survey
The General Secretary reported on the survey of members, the purpose of which was to gain a clearer view of the difficulties faced by teachers within the London and Fringe areas. These difficulties included:
Scottish Settlement
The General Secretary reported on the successful vote in Scotland, amongst members of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA), which resulted in a combined 80 per cent vote in favour of the McCrone Agreement. Together the two unions represented 90 per cent of teachers in Scotland. Both the EIS and SSTA hailed the Agreement as a significant advance for teachers in Scotland.
STRB Report
The General Secretary reported that the settlement in Scotland had relevance to the NUT's claims for teachers in England and Wales. In its response to the STRB Report the Union would make the contrast with the McCrone offer, not just in terms of salary structure and pay, but also in terms of improved conditions of service that were supportive and protective of teachers. This would be contrasted with the dismissive reaction of the STRB and the Government who claimed that it would be unworkable to have overall limits to working time and limits to time spent in the classroom for teachers in England and Wales. The NUT would be questioning why such an agreement was workable in Scotland and not in England and Wales. The General Secretary reported that the STRB report had given no succour to the concept of protecting teachers in England and Wales from excessive workload. This reinforced the need for the joint work with the NASUWT in trying to move towards a common approach to overall working time and the incorporation in the submission to the STRB for 2002 of a common position on conditions of service. Initial exchanges on the latter would be held through the TUC and would include ATL and UCAC.
On the issue of teacher shortages, the STRB report took the Government's line in seeking to dismiss the problems of teacher shortages and thereby the evidence in the Smithers and Robinson Report. The General Secretary reported that the Minister was seeking to discuss the teacher shortages situation in the same meeting as the formal consultation on the STRB report. This approach was not, however, the wish of the NUT and two separate meetings were being sought.
Teacher Absences/Teacher Shortages Ballot
The General Secretary reported that the initial reaction to the Union's action guidance had been good. An accompanying NUT News urged those members currently being balloted to vote "Yes". It also urged other members to call for ballots in their schools where there was a need for protection from the additional demands caused by long term absences and unfilled vacancies and from the general shortage of supply teachers. The General Secretary emphasised the importance of increasing the number of areas/schools in which ballots were being held in order to refute the Secretary of State's contention that the problem was small. The General Secretary indicated that he would be discussing with the General Secretary of the NASUWT arrangements for the announcement of the ballot results. The intention was that the results should be announced simultaneously.
General Motion: STRB Report
In a motion that was passed unanimously, the Executive condemned the unacceptable proposals of the School Teachers Review Body and reaffirmed the NUT's salary goals in respect of a national salary increase and increases in London and fringe area allowances. The increases called for were considered essential to recruit and retain teachers. The NUT would urgently press its demands for improvements in the STRB recommendations. The motion emphasised the need for all members currently being balloted on the issue of teacher shortages to vote "Yes". The Executive agreed to review the NUT's action strategy once the results of the ballot were known.
General Motion League Tables
The Executive unanimously agreed a motion welcoming the outcome of the consultation process in the north of Ireland on school performance tables. It was agreed to seek further information and advice from the Irish teachers' unions and, subsequently, to send an appropriate letter of congratulations to the Northern Ireland Education Department on the decision to discontinue league tables. The motion called on Westminster and the Welsh Assembly to conduct similar consultation exercises.
SEN and Disability in Education Bill
The General Secretary reported that the Bill had completed its Committee Stage in the House of Lords and would reach Report Stage the following Tuesday. The NUT had been able to forge an alliance between Government Ministers and some Tory Peers to the benefit of teachers. During the Committee Stage the comment made by one Peer was "We have had a brief from the NUT. In the past I have not often agreed with everything or indeed anything that the NUT has said. However, while the NUT welcomes the thrust of the Bill ... it makes clear that the professional judgement of teachers has to be taken into account when deciding whether educating a particular child in a mainstream school would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for other children. That is probably right ..." That comment was made by Lord Baker of Dorking!
Threshold Assessment
The General Secretary reported that it was likely that revised Order (No. 5) could be laid before Parliament the following week. That was the mechanism being used by the Government to meet the NUT's demands to add to the legislation, part-time workers and trade union involvement, as two further areas of possible discrimination that would be identified as illegal. The draft Order (No. 5) was now with Ministers. It was possible, depending on its content, that the Union would seek the tabling of an Early Day Motion urging the Government to include these areas in the list of discriminations. If that were the case there would be an urgent need for local associations and divisions to urge their MPs to sign the EDM.