This is an advance version of the Summer Briefing to be distributed June-July 1999
See separate items on the Green Paper
Apart from the NASUWT, all the teachers' organisations including SHA and NAHT came out firmly against the Green Paper. Despite the overwhelming hostility towards Performance Related Pay and Payment by Results, the key points of the Governments' proposals, the Government insists that they will be brought in. All the worst aspects of the Green Paper rely on a rigorous pay-related use of Appraisal.
This is why the NUT identified a boycott of appraisal as the only way of forestalling the Government's intentions. The NUT's announcement of its ballot against Appraisal led immediately to the Government delaying the implementation of the Green Paper, by one year. But, it still expects "volunteers" to lay the basis for Performance Related Pay by trialling the new Appraisal arrangements. The ATL Conference also agreed not to cooperate with Appraisal and even PAT has said that its members can reasonably decline to participate.
The NUT would hope that its own stance will encourage members of other organisations to take similar moves, but only NUT members have the protection under employment legislation afforded by the ballot, to refuse to take part in Appraisal.
Why now?
Some members have pointed out that the Suffolk Appraisal system is currently a professional development model which should be supported. True. But unfortunately, the data produced could be diverted into Green Paper purposes and the current limitations on the use of Appraisal data will be altered by statute, taking away the ownership of the appraisal documentation and its outcomes. In any case, a large proportion of Suffolk schools have not been following the Suffolk appraisal scheme for some years, and are substituting other means of "performance management".
Appraisal by any other name ...
Some heads are asking NUT members to continue with "monitoring". The NUT Guidelines make it clear that the action includes all schemes and procedures which mirror appraisal or include the "key aspects" of the Green Paper or other appraisal schemes, "however they are entitled". The key elements include:
As far as NUT members are concerned, Heads must devise other means of evaluating and monitoring the work of teachers which avoid these "key aspects" of the Green Paper.
Reps. are asked to call meetings as required to consider how best to apply the boycott to individual school situations. If in doubt, please contact the Regional Office on 01638 664538 or your Local Association Secretary.
Thanks to the NUT, the DfEE has had to re-issue the address forms it sent round last term and has agreed to amend its registration under the Data Protection Act and to restrict the use of members' address information to non- commercial uses.
However, the DfEE's re-issued form still does not contain the normal "tick box" for members to indicate their preferences concerning unsolicited mail. It therefore remains possible for the addresses to be used for the DfEE to send its own publications and propaganda direct to members.
The Union Solicitor has therefore devised a standard letter to be sent to the DfEE to be attached to the address forms completed, including any that were completed the first time around, which provide a legally binding statement that members require their address to be used solely for the purpose of communications from the General Teaching Council or from Teachers' Pensions.
Copies of this pro forma letter have been sent to your School Representative. Further copies can be had by download and print-out from this website, requested via e-mail to the Division Secretary, or by post from your Local Association Secretary.
There was much relief all round when the DfEE in their wisdom turned down a bid led by the LEA for an Education Action Zone for Lowestoft. Although Lowestoft needs the extra investment that an EAZ would have brought, the Government is insisting that new EAZs introduce "innovative" ideas which imply changes to conditions of service for teachers, and which were to trial the Green Paper proposals, including the appointment of "super teacher" Advanced Skills Teachers, and a plethora of after-school cramming activities.
Suffolk LEA has taken a leaf out of the Margaret Thatcher handbook on consultation. Having announced the closure of Oakwood School to staff and the press, they are now putting the matter to consultation. Oakwood is unique in the county in that it offers residential EBD (emotionally and behaviourally disturbed) provision for boys aged 8 to 16.
The NUT is firmly opposing the closure proposal, because such a facility is clearly needed in the County. Furthermore, the County's own Behaviour Support Plan sets a target to reduce out of county placements for EBD children from 52 to 32 by the year 2000, while proposing to close the 58 place school! There is no social, educational or economic reason to close Oakwood. Instead, it should be developed and enlarged to provide a more flexible service, including provision for girls. Copies of the consultation document are available from the LEA.
Members are asked to lobby the LEA and their local councillors to ensure that this all-important provision is maintained. Further information is available from the Division Secretary, including details of how to contact and lobby your County Councillor (see also contact information)
Published by Suffolk Division of the National Union of Teachers
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