It has taken me some time to absorb and respond the the recent Election result, like many of my colleagues in teaching  I was surprised if not shocked by the May election results.

Time will tell how the next 5 years pan out but I don’t think anyone foresaw that the Conservative party would be returned with a majority ruling. I fear over the next 5 years teaching, the teaching profession and the education landscape will change dramatically & possibly never recover. Why am I so downbeat? well a few examples…..

Unqualified staff teaching our children:

When speaking to parents all were surprised that one of the central planks of the Tory manifesto would be the recruitment on unqualified staff into teaching positions

I wouldn’t want my child taught by someone who was not qualified to teach, nor do I know of any parent who wants this for their child – Yet if this Government can, Nicky Morgan the current Education Minister will introduce this  policy. Call me a cynic but with recruitment numbers of people choosing teaching as a profession declining alongside unprecedented numbers leaving teaching I cannot feel that this is anything but a ‘cost cutting’  ideological recruitment policy by the Tories to plug the pending teaching gap.

Pay, Regional Pay & Performance Related Pay

Then comes the issue of pay, regional, pay and performance related pay, all business and their corporate related objectives are taken from the ‘GERM’ or the ‘GLOBAL EDUCATION REFORM MOVEMENT’ which Micheal Gove the previous Education minister (some say he still pulls the strings) so believed in, GERM suggests schools run along more business proven models, but there is a fundamental flaw in this argument, businesses are (in the main) designed for profit, schools by their nature and outcomes are a not for profit SOCIAL GOOD provider, you cannot have corporate objectives in a public sector/social good producer, it is an oxymoron. By doing so it will drive ever more from the profession.,

Supply Agencies & Deregulation 

With such a decline in teaching staff numbers, supply agencies simply ignore the economic principle of supply & demand, this being when supply is low & demand is high a premium can be placed on that product, however teacher supply agencies take the reverse approach, demand is high for supply teachers but their pay is falling. HOW?

Through supply agencies charging schools ever greater rates and supply teachers ever lower rates – i/e making a profit from education.

That is what happens when you allow a market to be deregulated and schools & supply agencies to fix the rates of pay for the workers.Jeremy Hunt the Health Minister denounced supply agencies in the NHS stating these agencies should not be profiting from a public sector as crucial as the NHS is, but it seems education & schools are ripe for profit making. Therefore supply teachers pay may continue to fall.

Cuts, Cuts, Cuts

We are now into Year 4 or is it Year 5 of the austerity programme and schools budgets are being cut by another 12- 13%  & this is actually Year 1 of the  Conservative party stand alone Budget/austerity programme, which will only be deeper & harsher than what came before………….where are these ‘savings’ to be found????

in one place through the pay & pockets of the current teachers & education staff. It is not enough teachers have had years of pay freezes whilst politicians get 10% pay increases, it is not enough during this time inflation has running at 4 to 5% so the reality is actual pay decline or that teachers have had pension reform thereby by forcing them to pay more in pension contributions. And what has been the outcome of the last 5 years? I do not see our public finances repaired as promised by George (Gideon) Osborne 5 Years ago.

In Summary:

• I fear for my job.
• I fear I will not get a decent rate of pay from my supply agency.
• I fear schools in an ever tighter squeeze on finances will offer me less pay.
• I fear for my old age and how I can provide for it through sensible retirement planning using my teacher pension.
• I fear for my children I don’t want them taught by someone who is not qualified to teach them, as education should set them up to be able to work & earn a good living throughout adulthood.
• I fear for my profession, the one I worked so hard for.
• I fear this Government are decimating education.

I hope I am wrong – only time will tell.

.

I cant wait, next month as part of BIRMINGHAM PRIDE 2015 I am volunteering & supporting the ‘Pride Parade’ & will be part of the NASUWT decorated car/float.

The Pride Parade will take place on Saturday 23^rd May, & Sunday 25th May.in Vitoria Square, City centre, and we are meeting up by 11am. 

It should be a cracking weekend, for more information go to www.birminghampride.com

As I find out more, I will share details but should be great fun!

My school is divided into 4 House’s, each House has its own Head of House & House identity, not unlike Hogwarts

and this week I have been delivering an assembly to the various Houses on ‘Tackling Homophobia’.

I feel that schools I have worked in generally do not challenge Homophobic language enough and this gives an implied message to students that it is ok for them to use offensive words & actions, in short I am fed up with hearing phrases like ‘That’s Gay’ etc. so I decided I needed to do something about it!

I approached the Headmaster & he was happy for me to discuss this topic through assemblies & so I then asked the various Heads of House to give me an assembly slot, it was surprizing how willing they were, but then again I should of known no-one in my school wants to deliver an assembly & so its the same old faces of the School Leadership Team getting up & everyone zoning out when they start to speak.

So I wanted my assembly to have a little PUNCH…….

I wanted to explain to students that during my school days (which were many moons ago) were very different to their experiences & that racial language that was so common place in society then & within schools has been nearly totally removed, or is always now challenged through schools, teachers & students playing their part in tackling racism – so lets do the same with Homophobia.

But that wouldn’t be enough, so I dug out some photos of me when at school & discussed what life was like ‘back in the day’ I used images to portray life for me growing up, such as:

and other images of my friends who had experienced bullying, verbal & physical abuse because they were gay.

Further images & stories of famous people such as Sam Smith,Jim Parsons & Ellen DeGeneres were discussed and I explained how they have all commented on how hard it was growing up with homophobic language around them in school.

As I looked around the Hall each day I saw the students looking back, absorbed and engaged, I had connected with them & I so I talked about what we could all do, change our outlook, change our choice of words & challenge those who are being abusive.

The response was amazing even now I sit here blown away when reflecting how well it went, each & every House applauded the assembly, Yes applauded it!

Students approached me afterwards & commented that they loved the assembly, they loved the message, that they loved the music and images used, but most of all a few students commented that were glad someone got up and said it for them!

I drove home feeling 100 foot tall, For once I felt I had really achieved something, the battle now will to keep it going….

Above all one student’s comment left a mark on me, he said

‘That was inspirational, something inside me dies everyday when I am told that’s so gay, as if being gay  is bad, now someone has got up and said STOP’

So  if anyone wants my assembly & resources or wants me to come into your school & deliver it let me know.

And finally can I recommend you do an assembly, like my experience you might just enjoy it and a student might just need someone to stand up for them

#inspired

No you read that right, Sunny Cardiff! So after a few days rest following the Easter Break up, we headed down to Cardiff for National Conference, Division had arranged a mini-bus for us to travel down & socialize on the way…..

but as a family we decided to travel down early & check out the crèche facilities for the kids and I had been invited to a ‘First time delegates lunch with the General Sec’. So we set off early & drove down to Cardiff and surprisingly the roads were clear-ish and the sun was shining, upon our arrival in Cardiff we checked into the fantastic Radisson Blu, which is a swanky hotel right in the middle of Cardiff.

The hotel was superb, with interconnecting rooms for my wife & I and the children, once again I found that the Union had ensured that families & partners are involved and supported and actively encouraged to attend with those members who engage in Union life.

They went off to explore Cardiff & I set off to register at the Conference centre and have lunch with Chris Keates & other first time delegates. The conference was held at The Millennium Centre at Cardiff Bay.

During this lunch meeting I was informed of the process & procedures of conference. It was informal, light hearted and a warm welcome which made me feel keen to speak if the chance arose during the various motions that Conference would discuss/debate. It was then back to the Hotel however with some bad news, my crèche bookings had not worked out, so over dinner at the hotel with all the other Division delegates my wife & I worked out a plan for their activities over the next few days.

We ate that night with all the other delegates(as we did other evenings during the Conference) from my division at the Hotel and an enjoyable sociable evening followed, the format was every evening we would meet, socialize and follow up discussions from earlier in the day. Families were of course included and one highlight was my children & other families children playing & laughing in the restaurant of an evening.

My thoughts/concerns that would my wife & children be bored when I was at conference were blown away when each evening the kids got together and enjoyed an evening meal with new friends

#happy kids!

Some highlights for me of the Conference were:

1. Listening to Tristan Hunt Shadow Minister for Education discuss how Labour would rebuild trust with Teachers after the last 5 years of attacks, and also listening to Hew Lewis the Minister for Education in Wales talk about the Education system/needs in Wales & The UK.

2.Listening to, following and being involved in decisions that would shape NASUWT union work over the coming year.

3. Visiting the Fringe events & workshops on topical issues and taking advantage of the free relaxation & massage tents and other great stall holders in the foyer of the Conference.

4. Socializing with people from Division, Regional & National areas and discussing topics affecting us all as a profession.

5. Speaking at Conference (not once but twice) Having listened, voted and participated in votes on various motions, I felt the desire to speak & offer my opinions, I duly completed a card requesting I be called to speak, as a first time speaker I was greeted with a round applause as I took the lectern to discuss how shameful the current supply market is and how it needs regulation.

I felt my speech went well, was well received and comments by delegates in and around the Conference Hall was positive afterwards. This made me feel happy that I had participated in the discussion and debate that formed how NASUWT would action this issue in the coming year.

6. Finally Broadening the horizons – Having the opportunity to visit a city I have not visited before, exploring Cardiff Bay which is wonderful & the children exploring Cardiff Castle, Cardiff Bay, etc.

In Summary: My first conference was a great success in every way, all the family enjoyed their long weekend, I was able to feel I contributed to my union and its action plans for the coming year, I met with lots of like-minded people & even got up and spoke! Happy Days

However Two things to carry forward to Birmingham ’16 Conference though:

1. Book and sort out the crèche early!
2. Keep the receipts as the Expense Form  is a killer!!

Earlier this month I attended my division’s AGM, whereby I met the Committee for Telford & Wrekin, like everything I have experienced so far through the Union it was set up to make members thinking of attending easy for them.

It was at a central Telford hotel, details regarding the AGM were sent out well in advance, a nice dinner was supplied free of charge, the timings were considered to make it an early start/reasonable finish, generally I would say thought had gone into supporting & facilitating members attending.

No why the fuss, why attend, why should I bother?

Well Telford is going through some radical changes in education, various secondary schools are merging, other schools are ‘adjusting staffing levels’ there are various new Headmasters in other schools, who might be considered Gung-Ho & therefore coming to AGM might just give a local member an insight into the landscape & climate & state of the education system of the area.

So I was surprized by what can only be described as apathy by local members, turnout considering local issues was poor, however I am getting ahead of myself,

The format:

Is get to the hotel & have a drink and socialize, then have a bite to eat whilst catching up, on this occasion it was Chicken & mushroom pie with various side options & the outcome very nice as well!

(this was agreed by a vote of 8 vs. 4 so the motion that the chicken pie was nice was carried – joke!)

Everyone was very welcoming and we sat around the table in one of the pre-booked conference rooms generally having a gas & catch-up!

The meeting was then called to order & various points raised & discussed all related to either specific local issues or national campaigns, it was interesting to observe & offer comment on some of these issues, not least the topics covered in this blog earlier such as Supply & LGBT rights.

Everyone had a chance to speak/contribute even a ‘newbie’ like myself & it was interesting & informative.

The Swearing In of the Equality Officer:

I would like to suggest this was the main event of the evening, I donned my ceremonial robes, garter, rod & chains & awaited my swearing in as the Equality office for my division,

The line up or committee members roles were discussed & I was sworn in as the new Equality Officer

All joking aside it was that easy, i/e come along, be met & be welcomed by like minded people who share a common interest, be fed & watered at a nice central hotel and discuss how things can be addressed or  improved both locally & nationally.

I even shared this blog with the committee & they seemed to like it as a another possible tool in engaging with members.

So clearly they must be good judges of character!