ATL Comment on Pre-budget Report

Commenting on the Chancellor’s pre-budget report, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of AMiE partner the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“Overall this is a good pre-budget report.  There are a lot of measures we like.  However, some measures may be highly damaging to public services and education.

“We are deeply unhappy about capping all public sector pay at one per cent for two years because it is too blunt a measure, and will affect the majority on low salaries as much as the few who are highly paid, and is far too long when even the government is forecasting inflation will be three per cent in two years time.

“Instead of funding internships for unemployed undergraduates the money would be better spent on retraining courses.

“It seems perverse to allow bankers to be untaxed on bonuses of up to £25,000 when everyone else is fully taxed on their £25,000 salary including first year teachers.

“We support guarantees for all 16 and 17 year olds to be in education or training by 2010.

“We are pleased the Government has sensibly cut the amount of time for under 24s to be unemployed to six months before being guaranteed work or training.”

Tragedy If A-Levels Are Unrewarded

It will be tragic if today’s A-level results are unrewarded by a place in higher education or a job, says Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of AMiE partner union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

Mary Bousted said: “Today should be about congratulating students and teachers on their outstanding results, not belittling their achievements by criticising A-level standards.

“The rise in the number of students taking maths, physics and chemistry shows how ridiculous is the debate about so-called hard and soft subjects.

“It will be little short of a tragedy if all the hard work by this year’s students is unrewarded by a place in higher education or a job. It seems particularly cruel to raise expectations and then dash them by failing to provide enough places in higher education for UK students. The Government will need to do more to support those who don’t manage to get a university place this year.

“The Government also needs to work with schools and teachers, plus the careers service to provide help, advice and guidance for those who did not get the results they wanted so they can make the best choices for their future and have the chance to rethink their careers or resit their exams.

“Today’s results, however, do not hide the problems with our exam-based education system which is obsessed with passing tests to the detriment of learning skills. Too many students leave school or college with their heads stuffed with promptly forgotten facts, instead of leaving with the skills they need for higher education or work, and for successful lives. And many others are lost to education, bored and demotivated by endless testing.

“After today we need to have a proper debate about what we want our education system to do – whether it is just to cherry-pick the brightest students for the top universities or to provide a rounded education which prepares young people for life in 21st century Britain.”

School Teachers: 2.3% Rise Confirmed

Commenting on yesterday’s  announcement from the School Teachers Review Body (STRB)  on pay for teachers, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of our AMiE partner, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

“We are glad that common sense has prevailed and Ed Balls has accepted the STRB’s view that teacher should get a 2.3% pay rise in 2009 and in 2010, as initially recommended in January 2008.

“We are pleased Ed Balls has honoured the pay commitment he made to ATL members at our annual conference in April, and not bowed to pressure to use teachers’ pay as a political football.

“ATL will continue to fight for teachers to be rewarded fairly, not only during a recession but also when the economy picks up and graduates have a far greater choice of careers.”

Budget Promises Reassure Colleges And Schools

As members will know, the Budget promised colleges and schools that all young people’s education and training will be funded. More information can be found at this DCSF link.

Wales Funding Campaign Success

Members in Wales already know, but on 16 April Deputy Minister for Skills John Griffiths announced an additional 8.93 million for Further Education Institutions (FEIs) and sixth forms in Wales.

This follows repeated lobbying by AMiE and other FE unions in Wales to bring about a change in the Welsh Assembly Government’s harsh financial treatment of the sector.

The effect of this additional allocation is that, in almost every case, FEIs and local authority sixth form provision will be funded at or above the same level for 09/10 as they were for 08/09. With the economic downturn being likely to lead to an increase in demand for post-16 training and adult training places, the extra support will provide funding for at least a further 2,500 places for young people and adults at FE institutions and school sixth forms.

In a good natured and clearly effective joint union campaign, AMiE Members joined lunchtime protests to draw attention to the effects of the original funding settlement, and then took their message direct to WAG on 1 April.

Commenting on the success of the campaign, Brian Thornton, AMiE’s Wales Officer said, “Our widely supported campaign has brought the Welsh Assembly Government to its senses. Further education has stood up for itself, and our voice has been heard.”

One In Four School and College Teachers Experiences Classroom Violence

Nearly one quarter of school and college staff have endured physical violence from a student, and just under 40 per cent have been confronted by an aggressive parent or guardian, according to a survey by AMiE’s partner union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

The survey questioned over 1,000 teachers, lecturers, support staff and school leaders in schools and colleges across the United Kingdom about behaviour issues in the classroom. Over 40 per cent of the respondents felt that student behaviour had got worse the past two years, and 58 per cent believed it had worsened over the past five years. Eighty-seven per cent of staff had dealt with a disruptive student during the 2008-09 school year, and nearly 90 per cent of these cases involved low level disruption such as talking in class, not paying attention or horsing around.

Over a third of respondents in primary schools reported incidents of violent student behaviour such as punching and kicking, compared to 20 per cent of teachers in secondary schools. A primary school teacher in England reported physical abuse from students as young as five years old: “I and other members of staff were physically assaulted daily by a five-year-old (including head-butting, punching etc.). He was taken to the head to ‘calm down’ then brought back to apologise. It became a vicious circle. I was off sick as a result. People often underestimate that young children can be as violent and intimidating as the older ones.”

Another primary school teacher in England said: “A six-year-old completely trashed the staff room, put a knife through a computer screen, attacked staff and we had to call the police. Another six-year-old attacked staff and pupils with the teacher’s scissors.”

Sixth form and FE teachers experienced a higher level of disrespectful behaviour in the classroom, with over 85 per cent of respondents reporting the use of mobile phones during class and students ignoring teachers’ requests.

Most staff regard poor student behaviour as a routine interference during class, with 96 per cent of teachers reporting that poor behaviour had led to a disruption of work for other students. Over a third of ATL members have experienced a loss of confidence after dealing with poor behaviour, and a fifth of staff experienced mental health problems, including stress and anxiety.

“Persistent low-level rudeness and disruption seems to have become a fact of life in education today and no longer raises eyebrows or seems to merit special attention. A sad state of affairs,” said Dr Ian Lancaster, a secondary school teacher from Cheshire.

Teachers generally feel that behaviour policies in their schools are adequate, but say they are not often carried out consistently by staff, so students feel that they are able to get away with bad behaviour in certain situations. Over a third of staff were unhappy with how their school or college dealt with behaviour related problems. A teacher from an independent secondary school in Staffordshire said: “We have a clear behaviour policy, but too often it is not enforced by all members of staff. This sends out a mixed message to students and they know who they can defy and who won’t bother to follow up on incidents of rudeness and contempt.”

Alarmingly, nearly 40 per cent of those surveyed had experienced some form of aggression from a student’s parents or guardians. In most cases this was in the form of insults or derogatory comments, and intimidation such as threats or being sworn at. Although 87 per cent of staff told their school about incidents where students’ parents or guardians had been aggressive, a fifth felt the school did not provide adequate support. Teachers reported that in most cases aggression from parents or guardians is in response to their children being disciplined in class or for their child receiving poor grades.

The behaviour of the parents or guardians is often reflected in the student’s behaviour. A secondary teacher in Bristol, said: “Lack of support of teachers by parents is the most disheartening part of this profession and the thing most likely to make me leave it. Poor student behaviour reflects the standards that they see at home and children cannot be held completely accountable for the values (or lack of) instilled in them at home.”

Some teachers believe that to eliminate poor behaviour in schools it is essential to first find the reasons behind unruly behaviour and then determine a solution, rather than reprimand students after instances of challenging behaviour. ATL general secretary, Dr Mary Bousted said: “It is distressing that poor student behaviour continues to be a widespread problem in schools, and shocking that over a third of teaching staff have experienced aggression from students’ parents or guardians. ATL firmly believes that no member of staff should be subjected to violent behaviour by either students or parents. Parents should be acting as good role models by supporting staff and helping them create a more positive learning environment for their children.”

AMiE Members Take Campaign To Cardiff

AMiE is taking a leading role in the fight against  funding cuts at many Welsh colleges. AMiE and ATL,  along with all the other unions involved in education, are working together to bring the Welsh Assembly Government to its senses. This follows the latest funding settlement for 14-19 provision in Wales which will see some colleges losing up to 7% of their funding. School sixth forms are also badly affected.

Joint union lobbying of the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and officials from the education department DCELLS is already underway; and this will be made visible with a demonstration outside the WAG building in Cardiff on 1 April. Campaign supporters can also join a Facebook group opposed to the cuts which has been started by an AMiE member at Coleg Sir Gar.

Commenting on the campaign, AMiE Wales officer Brian Thornton said, “I’m delighted by the level of support our members are showing. We are confident of a good turnout for the demonstration next week. Today we have seen an excellent turnout from members of AMiE and the other education unions in coordinated demonstrations against the savage cuts outside Sir Gar, Swansea and Gorseinon Colleges. Now we must unite to demonstrate outside WAG headquarters to argue the case for a properly funded and valued further education sector “

The impact of funding cuts on college staff and students will be severe. AMiE is expecting sweeping job losses at a number of colleges including Coleg Gwent, Coleg Sir Gar, Gorseinon and Swansea Colleges.

Further information about the cuts can be found at the BBC News Wales website.

Link Up To Close Soft Skills Gap

Employers should work with schools and colleges to help close the “soft skills gap” according to the communications firm BT. A report on the Personnel Today website quotes Mike Rake, BT Group chairman as saying:

“We can’t afford to educate our young people without giving them the personal, management and communication skills they need to be effective in the workplace. It is vital that business, education and government find ways to work together.”

Stop Micro-managing Teachers

The Lords Merits Committee has hit the nail on the head saying the Government should leave greater room for teachers to use their professional expertise to improve education, in its report into education regulations, according to our AMiE partner, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

ATL fully agrees with the Committee’s views that too many regulations are introduced piecemeal, and that the Government rarely reviews the effect of regulations it imposes.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said,  “The Government has been trying to micro-manage what goes on in schools through a plethora of detailed and over-prescriptive regulations.  It shows a lack of trust in teachers and a failure to understand the complexity of teaching, and means many teachers are afraid to teach in the way they know would best suit the children in their class.”

“Problems arise because of the number and rate of Government interventions, the number of agencies and departments involved, and difficulties translating policies into the classroom.  Even the Government’s attempt to set out a vision for children in the Children’s Plan has become more like a list of interventions.”

“Too frequently it is impossible to see how, or whether, the evidence from pilots have any impact on the development of Government policy, and because of delays in implementation the Government has often moved onto the next issue on its list before the first policy has been bedded-in.  This leaves teachers feeling their feedback will be ignored.

Dr Bousted said:  “Although we are grateful the Government consults us about education policies at a draft and early stage, the relentless churning out of instant initiatives undermines all attempts to base policy on the evidence of what works best for children.”

ATL would like the Government to have a much clearer picture of the cumulative impact of proposed policies on schools, teachers and pupils.  It would also like the Government to continue working in partnership with educational professionals to find how best to put its education vision into workable policies.

Government Micro-Management Devalues Teachers

Micro-management by the government, which is churning out too many education policies, is making teachers feel devalued, according to our AMiE partner, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

This leads to teachers being demotivated, fearing to trust their own judgement about how best to teach their pupils, and ultimately means pupils suffer because they do not do as well as they could. This is the conclusion of ATL in its submission to the House of Lords Select Committee inquiry into the cumulative impact of statutory instruments on schools.

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of ATL, said: “The government is trying to micro-manage what goes on in schools through a plethora of detailed and over-prescriptive regulations. It shows a lack of trust in teachers and a failure to understand the complexity of teaching. This is damaging teachers’ professionalism and means many are afraid to teach in the way they know from experience would best suit the children in their class.”

ATL says problems arise because of the number and rate of government interventions, the number of agencies and departments involved, and difficulties translating policies into the classroo. Dr Bousted said: “Even the government’s attempt to set out a vision for children in the Children’s Plan has become more like a list of interventions.”