NASUWT: Strike two – teachers fight for John Port School
Teacher’s from the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, are taking a second day of strike action today at the biggest school in Derbyshire, the John Port School.
Last week, around 80 NASUWT teacher members from the Etwall School took strike action to demonstrate their deep concerns about the proposals of the school governors to become one of the Coalition Government’s controversial new academy schools.
The action by teachers at John Port School, exemplifies the discontent with and opposition to academy conversion which is becoming increasingly evident across the whole country.
Other NASUWT members in Derbyshire have also recently taken action at Ecclesbourne School over the same issue.
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the larges teachers’ union, said:
“Such an irreversible change to a school has profound implications for pupils, parents, the local community and staff.
“Any change of this nature should be on the basis of raising standards of education. Yet all evidence shows that structural changes, like academy status, do not raise standards.
“The teachers at John Port are dedicated and committed to the young people they teach. They are not taking industrial action lightly.
“They are making a stand to preserve everything that is good about the school in the interests of the whole school community.”
Dave Wilkinson, a National Executive Member for the NASUWT, said:
“The decision of the school to press ahead with academy conversion in the face of the valid and deep professional concerns of teachers should cause parents and the local community to press the governors to rethink their intentions.
“It’s not too late for the Governor’s to reverse this decision.”
Other concerns over academy schools include:
. evidence from Sweden and the United States, which are the Coalition Government’s blueprint for academies, show that educational standards were not raised;
. removing teachers from the national framework of pay and conditions of service designed to enable them to focus on teaching and learning threatens the quality of educational provision;
. academy status disenfranchises parents and the local community who have no local process for resolving difficulties which may arise;
. academy conversion is an irreversible process.
Notes to editors
1. Teachers will mount a picket at the school between 7.30am and 9.00am on the day of the strike action, Thursday 17 February 2011.
2. For media enquiries, please contact Peter Graham, NASUWT Senior Press Officer, on 07966 195 010.
Stuart Gannon
NASUWT Press Office
Tel: 020 7420 9681
Mobile (and out of hours contact): 07966 198894
Address: 5 King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8SD
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