Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Conference welcomes:
a) the Labour Partys 2017 manifesto commitment to create a National Education Service;
b) the Charter for a National Education Service Launched at Labour Conference 2017.
Conference expresses our commitment to being involved in developing the ideas and strategies
needed for a NES, and to working to generate democratic public debate engaging parents and
local communities in a broad and deep consultation.
Conference recognises:
1. the damage done to the comprehensive education system by the implementation of more
than 30 years of neoliberal policies in the education system, that were supported across
the political spectrum, including by previous Labour governments.
2. that transforming this legacy into a modern comprehensive, inclusive, progressive and
democratic system will require a sustained legislative programme and huge financial
commitment that will need massive public support.
3. that there are many forces in education that will be hostile to a Labour Government and
an NES - particularly academy chains, edu-businesses and MATs who have profited
from the current system, and that these groups may be a formidable barrier to
implementing a NES.
4. that there are many complex structures and processes that need to be changed and that
simply returning to previous models may not be the best answer.
1. Ensure a fully funded service through taxation and develop a funding formula that
ensures extra resources are available where the need is greatest.
2. Be based on democratic control of public education, at national, local and school level,
and not on the demands of business and special interests.
3. Encouraged collaboration between schools, parents and local communities
4. Establish a model of school improvement and accountability which is based around
professional dialogue, and that is supportive and developmental.
5. Give serving teachers and other education professionals substantial input into curriculum
requirements.
6. Establish examination and monitoring processes that support learning and minimise
standardised testing.
7. Set pay and conditions for all education workers in the service on the basis of free
collective bargaining with recognised trade unions.
8. Aim to develop the skills and qualifications of all education workers, through a
commitment to genuine lifelong learning.
9. Be linked to political strategies aimed at tackling inequality.
Conference therefore calls upon the Executive and the JEC of the NEU to:
1. Work with other education unions and appropriate expert bodies to develop ideas for a
National Education Service;
2. Consult widely with members, through local associations and other means, on their views
for a National Education Service.
3. Work at all levels of the Labour Party to ensure the take up of this far-reaching vision of a
National Education Service.
4. Publicise this vision to gain wide public support.
3. POLITICAL FUND
Conference notes that, unlike businesses who are free to influence politics with relatively few
constraints, Trade Unions who wish to influence politicians are required by law to have an
optional political fund to pay for this work. Political funds may be affiliated or non-affiliated. The
proposed NEU political fund will allow it to do three things:
a) to persuade people not to vote for parties who promote racist, fascist or similar views;
b) to encourage our members and the public generally to register to vote;
c) to attend meetings at the annual conferences or other meetings of political parties.
Conference notes that other unions, like PCS and RMT, have non-affiliated political funds that
are less restrictive allowing them to, for example:
i) support those who are members of both the union and a political party to get the union's
policies adopted by the political party;
ii) support members or supporters of the union to seek selection as a candidate;
iii) support grassroots political campaigns;
iv) target particular politicians, candidates or parties whom the union believes will act
against the union's interests.
Conference further notes that other unions, like UNISON, have two political funds: a non-
affiliated general fund political fund allowing them to fund the above activities, and an affiliated
political fund. This affiliated fund allows the union to affiliate to the Labour Party, giving them
the right to:
a) send full-voting delegates to Labour Party Conference;
b) be represented on all major committees from the National Executive Committee down
to local Branches;
c) give their members the right to vote in Leadership elections;
d) participate directly in the selection of council and parliamentary candidates.
Conference believes that our members have the right to decide for themselves which political
party - if any - to support in a given election.
Conference further believes, however, that it is in the Union's interest to utilise every available
avenue to influence policy that affects our members. This means not only campaigning against
particular policies once they are adopted by a political party, but also supporting our members
and local branches and divisions to influence policy discussions within political parties.
Conference calls upon the JEC of the NEU to consult with the Union's members, workplace
representatives, divisions and branches, and equality strands as to how best achieve our
political goals. This consultation should leave open the following options:
i) maintaining the existing restrictive non-affiliated political fund;
ii) amending our non-affiliated political fund so that it can fund a wider range of non-
affiliated political campaigning;
iii) create an additional affiliated fund with the Labour Party.
Conference further calls upon the JEC of the NEU to recognise that, whatever the outcome of
this consultation, members shall always have the right decide for themselves how to vote in
elections, and that the legal right to opt-out of a political fund is observed.
3. That the UN projects that the number of people displaced by extreme weather events
attendant on climate change will double by mid-century, posing a crisis that requires
international solutions
NUT Conference calls upon the NUT and on the JEC of the NEU to:
i Re-double our campaigning on behalf of refugee children, including continuing to support
calls for the implementation of the Dubbs amendment
ii. give all possible support to teachers, support staff and students and their families if they
are threatened with the loss of jobs and residency rights
iii. reiterate its support for Show Racism The Red Card
iv. support activities organised by Stand Up To Racism, Love Music Hate Racism and Hope
Not Hate
v publicise and if necessary undertake further research into the experiences of Black and
ethnic minority students in our schools and communities
vi. support campaigns for a new UN protocol providing legal protection for the human
rights of climate refugees within the framework of the Paris Agreement, to raise this in
Education International and to call upon the TUC campaign for this, working through the
ETUC, ITUC, ILO and other relevant bodies.
NUT Conference calls upon the JEC of the NEU to reaffirm our affiliation to Stand Up To
Racism
6. ABORTION RIGHTS
NUT Conference notes:
a) The rights of all women to access safe, legal abortion is an advance for women and is
necessary to achieve a society that values the lives and rights of women.
b) Before the 1967 Act legalised abortion thousands of women died or were seriously injured
due to back street abortions.
c) The trade union movement has a proud record of defending a womans right to choose.
d) A 2013 YouGov opinion poll shows 92 per cent of people support a womans right to
choose.
e) That all young people have the right to receive proper sex and relationships education
9. SCHOOL FUNDING
NUT Conference:
1. Congratulates the NUT on the lead it took, with parents and others, on launching the
campaign against cuts in school funding
2. Congratulates local Associations and Divisions on the activities they have organised, such
as the rallies in Liverpool, Birmingham and Southampton
3. Notes the impact of our funding campaign, and the schoolcuts.org website had on the
outcome of the general election in 2017
4. Reiterates its view that the allocation of education funding should be based on need, and on
the principle that funding should be levelled up
Conference further notes:
1. Claims by the Government and the Education Secretary that every school would benefit from
the new funding formula, and no school would experience cuts
2. 88% of schools are currently set to suffer cuts, and Headteachers and Governors as well as
parents, teachers and support staff have expressed their concerns about the effects this will
have on students education and wellbeing.
3. That reductions in funding will inevitably impact on teachers workload and stress levels, and
further exacerbate prolbems with teacher recruitment and retention
NUT Conference calls upon the NUT and the JEC of the NEU to:
1. Continue to work with Fair Funding For Schools and other organisations opposing cuts in
schools funding
2. To work with parents and other trade unions and interested bodies to organise a national
demonstration against cuts in school funding
3. To encourage members in schools to take action at local level against cuts that are
leading to attacks on teachers pay and conditions and damaging education in the school
10. WORKLOAD
Conference notes that Ofsted have plans to ask senior leaders to discuss the ways in which
they can reduce teacher workload, and to focus on ensuring that senior leaders consider the
workload implications of policies before introducing them. However, Conference believes that
Ofsted are largely responsible for the high levels of workload in the first place with their agenda
of high stakes accountability.
Conference believes that the real issues with workload are systemic and caused by the
requirements of many schools (perhaps in fear of Ofsted) to: submit planning in advance,
triple mark work, take and annotate photographs of students work etc., issues raised
consistently by the NUT over the last few years.
Conference believes that there is a growing body of educational research that questions the
effectiveness of these requirements in helping pupils learn.
Conference believes that the most effective way of helping pupils progress is to allow teachers
the time to use their experience and their training to plan, prepare and mark high quality
lessons and assessments that help their pupils to make progress.
Conference believes that this should be supported by high quality CPD centred on evidence
based pedagogy.
Conference further notes that some teachers report having to provide levels and progress
scores for students after only two or three lessons which are frequently meaningless.
Conference believes that there can be no real progress in reducing teacher workload until the
high level of teacher accountability is dropped.
Conference therefore instructs the Executive to:
1) Carry out an extensive survey of parents to determine what reporting of pupil progress
parents find necessary - in order to address the workload issues caused by data and
report-writing,
2) Distribute and Disseminate Workload charters currently in use and carry out an analysis
into their effectiveness at reducing workload,
3) Produce guidance for the National Education Union on a major workload campaign that
takes into account progress made by both the ATL and NUT sections over the past few
years and makes this a priority for the new Union.
4) To evaluate and distribute the latest research on high intensity but low impact working
practices such as marking
3. The Government has plans to re-introduce a baseline test for Reception children in
theory replacing the Year 2 SATS, but in practice as this remains optional, many
schools may do it in addition to the Baseline test as well as the Phonics test in Year 1,
the current SATS and a new multiplication test in Year 4.
iii. The Year 6 tests are not increasing standards, but focussing children on a curriculum
that doesnt necessarily prepare them for the skills required in Secondary school.
iv. Formal liaison between Primary and Secondary schools to help in the transition of
pupils, should be established and funded by the Government
Conference further notes that the current Primary Curriculum was introduced by Michael Gove,
largely ignoring the caution of experts and Conference believes that most teachers and most
parents believe the current curriculum is too reliant on knowledge, not always suitable or
inspiring for many of our children and doesnt allow for teachers to meet individual childrens
needs. In fact, Conference believes that children who suffer most from poverty also suffer most
from an impoverished curriculum and that many of these children are likely to suffer from Mental
Health issues as a result of the combination of Curriculum and Assessment.
Conference moves that:
The Executive with guidance from classroom teachers, develops guidance for the JEC, and
ultimately, the Executive of the National Education Union as to how this campaign can continue,
building on the successful work to date, but in particular:
a. Broadening the public campaign to encompass the whole Primary Curriculum, and
supporting More than a Score in doing this.
b. Emphasising strongly the need to connect to members
This campaign should explicitly link assessment at all levels in Primary schools including the
proposed new baseline assessment to the curriculum.