Three teaching unions ATL, NAHT and the NUT have written to the Prime Minister Theresa May requesting for a meeting to discuss the school funding crisis. As a result of on-going campaigning supported by parents, teachers and schools, Education became a key topic in last week’s General Election and is still a key subject. £2.8 billion has already been cut from schools by the Conservatives and a further cut of £8.9 billion (when taking into account inflation and growing pupil numbers between now and 2021/22) has been pledged in their manifesto.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that there will be a reduction of 7 per cent in per-pupil funding by 2022. In reality 93 per cent of schools will, by 2022, experience a real-terms per-pupil spending cut. 8,912 schools (45 per cent) will receive no additional funding between now and 2021/22. One of the first acts of the new Government should be to publish its response to the fair funding consultation. But on current plans, unless the Government puts in new resources, this will lead to cuts in almost all schools. This simply cannot happen.
Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “Education was at the forefront of this election and many voters will have made their vote a vote for education. The Labour Party’s commitment to invest £4.8bn in schools, protecting school funding in real terms per pupil and protecting schools against inflation will not have been lost on the electorate. Theresa May has no option but to address this issue with urgency and ensure our head teachers have the money to run their schools properly without having to resort to begging letters to parents or cutting education provision. It is entirely feasible and entirely right that state education should be properly funded and resourced. The National Education Union will not let this Government destroy the education of a generation – education cuts never heal.”
Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: “School funding was at the top of the election debate and the National Education Union will ensure that it stays in pole position in the months ahead. If Theresa May thinks that education is expensive she should try the alternative. As the Brexit negotiations start, the need for the next generation to be well-educated becomes even more necessary, particularly if we are to compete in a global market and for the next generation to lead fulfilled lives. Education cannot be delivered ‘on the cheap’. The Government must commit to funding schools properly to give children and young people their birth right as citizens – the knowledge and skills to make the most of their talents and abilities.”
Should these cuts go ahead the ATL and NUT will continue their campaigning and along with the support of education professionals, parents, governors, MPs and local communities across the country this will intensify over the coming weeks and months. Once the formation of the new super union National Education Union (NEU) - the merger of the NUT and ATL takes place in September it will strengthen the union's position and the support for this campaign.
Two teaching unions; National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) have voted to form a super union by a vote of more than 2-1. The results show 97.2 per cent of NUT members voted for the merger and 2.8 per cent voted against. In the ATL 72.8 per cent members voted for and 26.8 per cent voted against. It will be called National Education Union (NEU) and will become the largest union in Europe for teachers and education support staff having more than 450,000 members. To tackle the issues facing the education sector and fight the government’s education cuts, strength in numbers will be vital.
Until a single leader is elected in 2023 Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney the general secretaries of the ATL and NUT, respectively, will drive the NEU as joint general secretaries. Ms Bousted said the merger was a "historic moment". "With nearly half a million members, we will speak with a stronger voice on behalf of education professionals and the children, young people and adults they support," she said. "The government will need to listen when we speak on the key issues facing education - funding cuts, excessive workloads, the recruitment and retention crisis, the chaotic exam reform and accountability." Mr Courtney said: “This is a fantastic result for members of both unions and for education. For too long, governments have played divide and rule amongst education unions. Today marks the beginning of the end of that.” "The NEU will be a game-changer in the education landscape and I am delighted to be jointly leading it forward over the coming months and years." Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT is agreement with the new super union saying it would create a ‘powerful voice within education.’
The NEU will officially form on 1st September 2017 and for the first time it will be a union for teachers and ‘allied professionals,’ which means it will allow unqualified teachers to be members, something the NUT does not currently allow. Both secretaries have a clear vision and say the NEU will work with government to tackle some of the critical issues like workload and recruitment. However they will not agree to the expansion of grammar schools and will seek legal advice if the government tries to open new grammar schools without a vote in parliament to overturn the ban. One thing is for sure, industrial action will be stronger and have a bigger impact due to the large numbers. Courtney said strike action was “not what any set of workers wants to do” but “if push comes to shove, then we’re in a place where industrial action will be stronger. Governments should listen to that and not put us in a position where that happens.”
