The NUT - the union that loves to say "Never"

By Mark Wallace
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The National Union of Teachers would be well led by Rev Dr Ian Paisley - they appear to answer every policy proposal with the word "Never".

Whether it's academies, free schools, rewards for success, new approaches to teacher training, more rigorous curricula, or a greater emphasis on literacy and numeracy, every possible change to the education system brings forth the same response.

The latest demonstration of Christine Blower's rejection of change came this morning, in a Today Programme debate about Michael Gove's drive to raise standards at GCSE level. Any move to a more rigorous system would cause "uncertainty", it would "demean the achievements of students who have got GCSEs in the past", and would be "rushed" - despite not taking effect until September 2015 at the earliest.

The most pernicious argument the NUT puts forward is the idea that any reform is an insult to pupils who have gone before. The implication is that even if the education system currently lets children down, it is better that that should continue than any of those already betrayed should be offered any insult. Both the logic and the practical outcomes are offensive.

Imagine a world dominated by the NUT's aspic approach to policy-making. Weak sentences for criminals would never be extended, lest we give offence to the judges who had dished them out. Doctors would still be bleeding ill people to restore the balance of the bodily humours, in case it upset Hippocrates to use more modern techniques.

Such a world would be backwards, endlessly mired in the failures of the past for fear of upsetting anyone. It would be laughable, if the effects of the NUT's campaign against reform weren't so severe on school pupils, who miss out on the chance of a better education as a result.

The NUT Conference shows how badly the Gove reforms are needed

By Harry Phibbs
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Along with hot cross buns and chocolate eggs, we have the Easter tradition of the annual conference of the National Union of Teachers. After decades of hegemony this is an organisation which has experienced the most remarkable setbacks since Michael Gove became the Education Secretary three years ago.

The conference agenda for their gathering in Liverpool suggests a degree of bafflement over how their world has been rocked.

One motion starts by noting:

Despite the motions passed in previous years, academies are continuing to increase in number across the country.

It also notes:

Previous attempts to widen strike action to nearby Local Authority schools affected by academy conversion, on the basis that the LA’s ability to support schools would be compromised, have not materialised.

Teachers' unions attack the Government for today's A-level results, businesses praise them - who would you trust?

By Matthew Barrett
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The media coverage of today's A-level exam results has focused on two statistics. Firstly, that the overall pass mark increased to 97.8%, and secondly, that the number of students awarded top marks dropped for the first time in twenty years (good). 

The crackdown on grade inflation, which produced the second statistic, is yet another of Michael Gove's ideas to get the education system working honestly once again. It's no good awarding top marks if the level of real knowledge being gained is decreasing. 

The unions' response to the results have been extremely sour. Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT union, said:

"The Coalition Government can take no credit for these results which is why it takes every opportunity to imply the system is ‘dumbed down’ or lacks rigour. These results have been achieved by teachers who, despite pay cuts, attacks on their working conditions, slashed funding, loss of specialist support and attacks on their professional status and competence, have worked hard to do the best they can for their pupils."

The NUT echoed this, saying:

"These results are a real testament to the commitment and hard work of young people and their teachers. The Government should recognise this rather than continually undermining such achievement with talk of grade inflation and dumbed down qualifications."

CCHQ goes on schools offensive, attacking teaching unions for refusing to supervise sports

By Matthew Barrett
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Over the last few days, some newspapers have reported stories aimed at contrasting the success of Team GB with the supposed undermining of future success by the current Government through, for example, selling off playing fields, and scrapping a target of two hours of school sports per week for every school. The playing fields story turned out to be rather more complicated than a straightforward "evil Tory cuts!" attack.

This afternoon, CCHQ has decided to go on the offensive. As Guido Fawkes reported yesterday, the NASUWT teaching union instructed its members to...

"...refuse to attend any meetings and activities outside school session times which are not on the school calendar and which are not within directed time. Members should refuse to agree to timetable changes where no sound educational reasons have been given for the change. ... Members should refuse to undertake supervision of pupils during the lunch break."

CCHQ say NASUWT and the NUT - who represent more than 300,000 members - are being hypocritical for attacking the lack of sport in schools, while simultaneously ordering members not to supervise sports outside school hours. Yesterday, Chris Keates, the General Secretary of NASUWT union, said:

"It is unfair to claim that schools are not doing enough to foster a sense of sporting competition among our young people. The real issue is the major cuts that this coalition Government has made to school sports. They have cut school budgets in real terms, which has reduced the resources available for schools to spend on sport"

Teacher: Britain is Egypt! Cameron is Mubarak! Mass resistance now!

By Paul Goodman
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"Tony Dowling, a former member of the Socialist Workers Party, was applauded after he said: 'We cannot wait until 2015 to get rid of this Government. The Egyptian revolution was driven by mass resistance on the streets as well as trade union organisation.'

"A primary school head was greeted by laughter when she said that she had been a Trotskyite. Rachael Thomas from Bristol, said: 'Not every parent, teacher or governor who opposes academies is a Trot, but I am.' "

Details from the N.U.T conference in The Times (£).

Gove is "an evil entity" bent on "demolishing state schools" who is surrounded by "cronies" and pursuing "fetishes" while "terrorising teachers" and empowering "vultures"

By Paul Goodman
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Yes, you have guessed it already: the NUT Conference is in full swing.

Read the Financial Times's report today for more.  Though our headline tells you all you need to know.