26.09.12
Teachers to step up industrial action
Teachers unions are to step up their industrial action in protest over pensions, pay and workload. NASUWT is to begin restricting teachers’ work from today and will be joined by the NUT from October 3.
Members of NASUWT will produce only one written report a year to parents, not submit lesson plans to senior managers, refuse to invigilate mock exams or to supervise activities outside school hours if asked to do so.
Additionally, members will only send and respond to work-related emails during school hours as part of the industrial action.
NASUWT has been engaged in action since December 2011 and the escalation is designed to be ‘student-friendly’ in its impact.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “The escalation of the NASUWT industrial action is entirely the responsibility of the secretary of state for education, Michael Gove.
“In just over two and a half years the actions of the secretary of state have resulted in over half of teachers considering leaving the profession altogether, specialist teachers losing their jobs, applications for entry into the profession plummeting and teacher morale at an all-time low.
“The secretary of state continues to fail genuinely to engage with the NASUWT and continues with his reckless disregard of the deep concerns of the teaching profession. This is a betrayal of not only the workforce but of every child and young person.”
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