Teachers' work-to-rule plan could hit after-school clubs in in Leicester and Leicestershire
Children's after-school activities and lunchtime supervision could be hit as teachers decide to work to rule in a row over pensions and working conditions.
If the policy fails, strike action by hundreds of teachers in the city and county is on the cards this autumn.
It follows a one-day strike last November which closed hundreds of schools in Leicester and Leicestershire as teaching unions attempted to force politicians around the table.
The action is being taken by the National Union of Teachers and the NASUWT – two of the biggest teaching unions – in an attempt to protect members from changes to their pension and campaign for better working practices.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
Ian Leaver, assistant secretary of Leicester's NUT branch, said: "This action isn't designed to disrupt children's learning. The whole idea is to eliminate the burdensome tasks that prevent teachers from teaching and are a response to the continued attacks on teachers from this Government."
The action, to start at the end of the month, includes teachers working their scheduled hours only, attending meetings in those designated hours and being given time in their rota to plan lessons.
It will mean that many teachers who run lunchtime or after- school clubs in their own time may also decide to down tools.
In addition, teachers may refuse to cover for staff absences and carry out administrative tasks such as collecting money from pupils or parents.
The unions say teachers are spending less time in the classroom and more time on other tasks.
They also claim they are being robbed of a fair pension following the Government's decision to stop final salary schemes in favour of average career earnings and request greater contributions.
Mr Leaver said: "Attempts to introduce a more punitive performance management system and a freeze on pay have left teachers demoralised. This joint action is a statement by teachers to the Secretary of State that enough's enough.
"Teachers want to be left to do the job they are paid to do, which is to teach children, without continual interference from central Government."
He said unions wanted to give Education Secretary Michael Gove every opportunity to speak to them before walk-outs took place.
Alan Hackett, NASUWT's executive regional member, said: "We're not afraid of taking this further if necessary, but we hope this will force Michael Gove to sit up and listen to our concerns. We want to reclaim the classroom and concentrate on what teachers are supposed to be doing – teaching children.
"There are still very strong feelings about changes to our pensions at a time when salaries aren't rising and we're being asked to pay more into them.
"This isn't about disrupting pupils, but doing the job we set out to do. It's important we look at all other avenues before walking out."
Sally Morrison, head of Eyres Monsell Primary, in Leicester, welcomed the joint action.
She said: "Many teachers work on goodwill and put in hours of their own time to lunchtime and after-school clubs, as well as taking shed loads of additional work home with them."
A Department for Education spokeswoman called the decision "disappointing".
She said industrial action would disrupt pupils' education, inconvenience parents and damage teachers' reputation in the eyes of the public.
Comments
by dddum
Thursday, September 13 2012, 10:15AM
“A Department for Education spokeswoman called the decision "disappointing".
She said industrial action would disrupt pupils' education, inconvenience parents and damage teachers' reputation in the eyes of the public.
The education department, government and exam boards are underestimate the support and sympathy schools have from the public and it is not the schools reputations that have been damaged in the public eye but that of the government, Education ministers and exam boards after the recent fiasco of the summer series exams. It seems that schools and teachers, pupils, parents work so hard to improve and when they do the government make rushed and ill thought out decisions that effect the education of children. and their future prospects. I only hope that those who are effected by the recent changes imposed recognize that they have been unjustly treated and although they may not have made the grades they worked so hard for that they will almost all be of voting age in the next General election and will have their chance then to make their feelings count based on their experiences..”
by Graham_LE8
Thursday, September 13 2012, 9:53AM
“So let's see if I have this right; teachers say they're spending less time teaching and more time doing ancilliary tasks, their pensions are being eroded and costing more, there's more stringent performance management in place, and they've had a pay freeze too.
Ditto for myself, an electro-mechanical and software engineer, and my wife, a nurse. And for many millions of workers nationally (of all skills and professions) for several years now. Can someone explain why teachers are a special case and should be exempt from a process affecting us all, brought about by a fiscal crisis of global proportions that has stalled the economies of the majority of the developed world?
I have no axe to grind with them trying to mitigate the effect on their livelihoods, the unions my wife and I are members of tried (unsuccessfully) too, but where I do see hypocrisy is that the same people who berate parents for 'disrupting childrens learning' by taking them out of school during term time, will use that same strategy for their own ends, with no conscience...”
by peter99
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 9:36PM
“"industrial action would disrupt pupils' education, inconvenience parents and damage teachers' reputation in the eyes of the public."
Inconvenience parents? Only those who use after school clubs as a cheap/free childminding service. I used to run a club and half of the kids did not want to be there- their parents made them go to it.”