News - Country:
United Kingdom - Theme: Status of Teachers
UK: Video alleges Education Minister’s misuse of evidence (09 April 2013)
The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the two largest EI national affiliates in the UK, have recommended a video about the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove. The video looks at the policies pursued by Gove and challenges his assumptions and evidence based on the “reality” of evidence from the UK and around the world.
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NASUWT: Differences between Government’s and teachers and students’ realities
The video, launched at the NASUWT Easter conference on 31 March, has since gone viral on Twitter and Facebook.
“This video graphically demonstrates the difference between government rhetoric and the reality for children and young people and for teachers,” said NASUWT General Secretary Chris Keates. “It illustrates what happens when ministers arrogantly pursue their personal agendas and fail to listen to the profession.”
NUT: Government has lost teachers and parents’ confidence
The NUT General Secretary and EI’s ETUCE regional President, Christine Blower, also stressed: “The Secretary of State has quite clearly lost the confidence of most teachers and parents. A YouGov survey commission by the NUT shows that, after nearly three years in power, only eight per cent of parents think that this Government has made a positive impact on the education system. Almost half believe it has had a negative impact.”
Blower went on to deplore that teacher morale is dangerously low, planned changes for the curriculum and the national examination system are deeply flawed, and the academies and free-schools programme is dismantling coherent education provision in England.
If the Secretary of State chooses to plough on regardless with such little support for his vision of education, he could find it to be his undoing, she warned.
EI: Government must engage in social dialogue
“EI and the international educator community support their UK colleagues’ struggle to ensure quality education for students and decent living and working conditions for teachers,” said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen. “Social dialogue is key, and national authorities must engage in immediate dialogue with trade unions representing education professionals at all levels.”
The video “Michael Gove versus Reality” is available here
