14 October 2020

NEU Special Conference: A fight for safety in schools is urgently needed

A National Education Union (NEU) special conference of over 550 delegates, representing nearly half a million educators, took place on Zoom on 3 October.

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11 April 2018

NEU conference: Teachers vote to strike over pay and workload

The National Education Union (NEU) conference (NUT section - the last ever before fully merged conference next year) took place in Brighton against the backdrop of a perfect storm building in our schools

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19 April 2017

Mood for a fightback at education conferences

The main theme at the Easter conferences of the education unions NUT, ATL and NASUWT is one of a fightback taking place

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25 January 2017

Ed Balls: 'Speaking Out' for capitalism

Non-fiction review - Speaking Out: Ed Balls elicits sympathy for his battle against his stammer. His view that anyone who disagrees with him is a communist will probably elicit less sympathy.

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14 December 2016

Education for all - not exam factories

It is without doubt that our children are the most tested in the world.

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31 August 2016

Education: fightback needed

Teaching unions must call coordinated national action: Education policy stands at something of a crossroads and the new academic year will be a significant one.

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11 May 2016

Let kids be kids: children 'strike' against Sats tests

Along with thousands of other children, my daughter went on strike on 3 May. She was aware she was on strike and why, and this in itself is a valuable lesson in standing up for what you believe in.

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27 January 2016

Teaching: a perfect storm is brewing

A lack of school places, teacher shortage and cuts are compounding existing issues related to workload.

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21 April 2010

Vote to boycott SATs

The two main unions representing primary headteachers have both returned clear majorities in support of a boycott of this May's English and maths Key Stage 2 SATs tests for eleven year-olds, writes Martin Powell-Davies, Lewisham NUT.

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10 February 2010

Boycotting the 2010 SATS in schools

At the end of January, I attended a training meeting for teachers' union NUT reps in London. Only a day or two previously, a joint NUT/NAHT press statement had been issued stating that both unions will...

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Lewisham edutcation protest, photo Paul Mattsson

25 November 2009

The battle for state education

When Labour came to power with a mission to sort out education, they bulldozed ahead with the mantra of "whatever works", writes Linda Taaffe.

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Martin Powell Davies at the Lewisham demonstration against destructive school policies, photo Paul Mattsson

21 October 2009

Primary education: Report slams government policy

EVER SINCE New Labour was elected, they have sought to dictate to schools what to teach and even how to teach it. Policed by the threatening machinery of Ofsted inspections and league tables of SATs and GCSE results, schools have been bullied into following each new instruction imposed by ministers and Whitehall officials, writes Martin Powell-Davies, secretary, Lewisham NUT.

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15 April 2009

National Union of Teachers conference: Battle on workload begins

Teachers' anger at the pay and workload they face was clear at this year's National Union of Teachers (NUT) conference, writes Dave Reid reports from NUT conference in Cardiff.

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5 November 2008

Year 9 SATs abolished: Now get rid of the rest!

I did my SATs last year. It's definitely true that SATs put more pressure on kids that are going to have pressure in the years to come with their GCSEs, writes Niall Haley, Walthamstow.

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21 February 2004

"Jack is walking!"... but the system is failing

ONLY AT the age of nine was Jack seen to be walking for the first time. It was with the aid of the water in the school baths but his achievement inspired the whole school and all his family...

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22 November 2003

'No' To SATS: 'Yes' To A Boycott

TEACHERS IN the NUT, the biggest teaching union, are currently being balloted about boycotting SATs in primary schools at Key Stage 1 and 2, writes Jane Nellist, KS1 Teacher.

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15 November 2003

Teachers Ballot Against Sats

THE NATIONAL Union of Teachers (NUT) National Executive (NEC) has unanimously decided to ballot its members against the school SATs tests, writes Linda Taaffe, NUT.

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18 October 2003

Stand Together To Scrap The SATS

FOR THE last month, teachers in Coventry have been campaigning against SATs. We have been leafleting schools and talking to parents on the school gates as well as organising stalls on Saturdays. Pupils...

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6 September 2003

Stop SATs: Unions must take action

AS SCHOOLS start a new term, a whole battery of problems threaten to engulf an already beleaguered government. Thousands of jobs have been lost already due to the funding crisis, writes Linda Taaffe, NUT executive, personal capacity.

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5 July 2003

SATs conference: End These Nightmare Tests

WE'VE HAD "tears in the morning" said Socialist Party member Suzanne Muna, speaking from the platform at the 'Stop the SATs' conference in London...

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