Education dominates local government conference on final afternoon

A busy afternoon’s debates on education opened included a commitment that  UNISON would oppose government policies on academies. But Pam Howard for the executive also stated that there had to be a two-strand approach, where the union also organised within academies when and where they exist. She added that this also “gives us recruitment and organising opportunities – opportunities that we need to take,” and that this would include working alongside other school unions where possible. Lee Spate from Portsmouth stressed that an organised and strong response after the announcement earlier this year that all schools were to be forced to become academies, was crucial in making education secretary Nicky Morgan assert that this would not be the case. Delegates raised the issue of “maximising solidarity” when teachers are likely to be taking strike action on the issues. Roger Bannister told delegates of how Knowsley is to lose it’s last sixth form, A’ level provision later this year. The City of London and the Isles of Scilly are the only other ‘boroughs’ in the UK where that is the case. The school – an academy – made the announcement in March and refused to explain itself. A petition to the government was rejected because “it is about something that the UK government or Parliament is not responsible for,” said the government’s petition website. Yet another delegate, from the Midlands, told of how, in Sandwell, one academy school was making bulk bu...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News academies Adult Education education services further education lg16 local government local government conference 2016 local government cuts school workers schools stars in our schools Source Type: news