 Official Newsletter of Derby NASUWT
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September 2008 - Derby NASUWT – 1283 serving teacher members
Negotiating Secretary – Dave Wilkinson: Home: 01773 829867 School: 01332 557032: Mobile: 0797 104 1577 email: davewilkinson@nasuwt.net
Website: http://www.DerbyNASUWTbranch.org.uk
First the LEP – Now Trusts and New Foundation Schools
Is the writing on the wall for Public Sector Education in Derby?
Just before the end of term, the Derby City Council Cabinet approved Strategy for Change 2, part of its Building Schools for the Future programme, and which proposed changes to school status for most Derby secondary schools. Full details are available on the Derby City website at http://www.derby.gov.uk/EducationLearning/SchoolsColleges/bsf/Strategy+for+Change.htm , and you would need to check the details for your own school to see how you may be personally affected, but under the proposals hundreds of teachers and other school staff would be transferred out of local authority employment to a series of trusts, new foundation schools or the academy. A summary of the changes in school status are in Appendix 03, Choice and Diversity Proposals, copies of which have been sent to every Derby NASUWT secondary school rep and which is also downloadable from the webpage address above. Under the current proposals, the only remaining Secondary Community School would be Littleover School. Some teachers in special schools would also be transferred out of local authority employment.
In addition to this, Derby City Council has now established its Local Education Partnership (LEP), a Public Private Partnership to replace the Local Education Authority, which the Government abolished several years ago. The LEP is a private profit- making company and more local authority services are likely to be transferred to it over time.
Uncertain Future for School Trusts
The biggest threat to the terms and conditions of teachers – and to state education – comes from academies, which are state funded private schools. NASUWT members at Sinfin Community School continue their courageous fight against academy status with escalating industrial action this term – and recent good news is that they are likely to be joined by members of other unions. However, school trusts have an uncertain future themselves. The assets are owned by the trust board which also employs the staff. One of the most significant differences between trusts and academies is that trusts employ teachers in accordance with national terms and conditions of service – but this may not always be the case.
The trust board is controlled by the private company which establishes the trust. At the moment trusts are non-profit making, although they can make “surpluses”. However, the Tories have indicated that they are considering permitting charitable trusts in the Education and Health services to make profits as private companies can. It is not an exaggeration to say that, several years down the line, education in Derby could be largely in the hands of the profit-making private sector – and, where public services have been completely privatised in the past, private companies have made profits by asset stripping, slashing jobs and pay - and worsening terms and conditions.
Growing Threat to Public Sector Workers and Services
In many ways, this country now faces the greatest threat to its public services since they were established in the last century, particularly as the Government’s public sector reforms are now manifesting themselves as out and out privatisation and slashing of services. Government spending limits on local authorities – together with local cutbacks – are hitting all workers hard, but particularly public sector workers, who often face poverty wages themselves. For this reason, Derby NASUWT Branch gives complete support to UNISON and T&GWU Unite members who took strike action at the end of last term over pay and we will continue to support them in the future.
Campaigning Against the BNP
All of us are bearing the impact of increases in the cost of living, particularly housing, food, fuel/energy and petrol, which make a mockery of the Government’s “official” inflation figures. One beneficiary of this hardship and also the despair which many working people feel about the lack of a political voice is the British National Party (BNP), which polled 18% of the vote in Chaddesden Ward at the last local election.
Please find enclosed a Searchlight Hope Not Hate leaflet, which campaigns against the BNP. If you would like additional copies of this leaflet, please contact Dave Wilkinson.
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