Defending Teachers, Defending Education

Charles Clarke’s protestations at the NUT Conference’s opposition to his education policies reveal the anger of a Minister who is losing the argument with parents and teachers over his plans for "remodelling" the school workforce.

Everyone would agree with Mr Clarke that classes should be supported by skilled teams of staff. But the NUT wants to make sure that every child has the first-choice team that is their right. Instead, New Labour is prepared for some classes to make do without a qualified teacher.

Rather than pay our support staff colleagues properly for the valuable work they already do, this Government wants to exploit them by asking them to take on teaching roles but without our rate of pay.

The DfES "Blue Skies" paper’s call for "zero budgeting" and "reducing overall teacher numbers" exposed their real agenda to introduce teaching on the cheap. The NUT believes children and all school staff deserve better.

Doug McAvoy’s farewell speech rightly condemned New Labour’s plans. The next NUT General Secretary needs to match those words with the action needed to stop them damaging our children’s education.

Martin Powell-Davies,