THERE was a great turnout of over 300 trade unionists, local residents and youth at the Wembley Park anti-academy occupation Jamboree in north-west London on Saturday.
NUT members and other people are occupying the proposed site for a new academy next to the new Wembley Stadium.
The occupation is growing in support. Many more people are camping on the site at the Wembley Park Sports Ground, and on Saturday there were football matches being played throughout the afternoon, as well as a barbecue, music and other entertainment.
There were also two bouncy castles set up for the children and a temporary swimming pool was erected.
Many people on Saturday brought tickets for next Sunday’s News Line-All Trades Union Alliance conference in Bethnal Green, where occupations to defeat academies and to prevent NHS closures will be discussed.
News Line spoke to many of those who came last Saturday.
Seventeen-year-old Robert Woodward said: ‘I go to Preston Manor School, just down the road, and I think the occupation is great.
‘It’s not just a protest, there’s more meaning behind it than people just coming out for one day.
‘People are devoting their lives to it.’
Hanadi Kalerji, aged 18, said: ‘Young people shouldn’t be used to further the political agenda of politicians and business people.
‘It’s capitalist companies running a school in order to create their own workforce.’
Teacher Jean Roberts, one of the original occupiers, said: ‘Today is a Fun Day, where we have invited trade unionists to come and show their support.
‘There is entertainment for the children, with a bouncy castle, swimming pool, football etc, and tonight we have alternative comedy.
‘We are encouraging as many people as possible to stay overnight.
‘We’ve upgraded the camp site and created a garden. We’ve got more gazebos.
‘After last Thursday’s vote, when the Liberal Democrats on the Council Executive voted for ARK (Absolute Return for Kids) – a group of hedge fund speculators – we are more determined than ever to defeat the academy on this site.
‘An increasing number of people from different unions have joined the occupation and are camping on the site, including NUT, ATL and UCATT.
‘We are demanding of Ken Livingstone that he refuses to sell the land, but he hasn’t yet replied to our letter.
‘We are very confident we are going to win. We welcome anyone to join the occupation, send letters of support and donations.
‘We are coming to the ATUA conference next Sunday to make this call.
‘It’s really great lots of people said they would turn up today and they have.’
Brent NUT president, Herbert Bukari, said: ‘We organised this occupation because the government is privatising education and wants to build an academy here.
‘We are against academies.
‘Also, they want to build on this very important facility – this football ground.
‘Academies use taxpayers’ money to pay teachers and run the school, but control is given to somebody or an organisation that contributes a million or two towards the building.
‘It is not accountable to the community, it has control of the governing body, in short it is a private school paid for by the state.
‘Brent was blackmailed into building the academy when it was a Labour administration, which was keen to please its lord and master, Tony Blair.
‘The Lib Dems were against it when in opposition, but now they are in power they have been blackmailed, bamboozled and befuddled to adopt the project.
‘I’m proud of my members taking this stand.
‘We won unanimous support at the NUT conference and that’s why the national president, Baljeet Ghale, came here on Thursday.
‘We are confident we will win.’
NUT health and safety officer for Brent, Gill Reed, alleged: ‘The Capital City Academy in south Brent was built without a staff room, which contravenes legislation relating to school facilities.
‘But because of the actions by the NUT members in the school, they converted an unused classroom into a staff room.
‘We conjecture that they want to divide and rule staff.
‘It’s built entirely of glass – really sinister.
‘If there is no staff room, staff can’t congregate together. It’s like rules and laws against assembly.
‘We are very proud of what we are doing here. There is a lot of support for us, not just from teachers but local people.
‘Brent council is not interested in a proper consultation.
‘The government will not build schools unless they are academies.
‘These are the two reasons why this occupation is so important.
‘There is a need for a new secondary school in south Brent, not here in north Brent.
‘In Stonebridge and Harlesden, there are more people over 18 who have no educational qualifications than in the rest of Brent and in most of the rest of the country.
‘Yet these two wards have no comprehensive schools, so secondary school aged residents in the area have to travel a long way to school.
‘Nearly three quarters of the 4,000 secondary students who have to travel out of Brent to go to school are from south Brent.
‘We have taken legal advice and have been informed that there are grounds for claiming institutional racism by Brent over its secondary school provision.
‘In Stonebridge and Harlesden, there are 46 per cent black people. Here it’s only about 10 per cent.’
Steve White, Waltham Forest NUT, said: ‘It’s important to be here today.
‘The element of private business or a religious axe to grind is what makes academies most obnoxious.
‘The whole academies project is an experiment.
‘The government said it wants 400.
‘Our association would say the correct amount is none.
‘An occupation is a big development. In the future, we will have to get more people here and physically stop the building.
‘If it comes to it, I think people are prepared to do it.’
Michael Davern, Southwark NUT joint secretary, said: ‘We are the world capital of academies in Southwark.
‘We’ve got five already and the last three secondary schools are due to become academies in the next two years.
‘The main thing I’m opposed to is handing it over to fat cat business sponsors, such as ARK.
‘The occupation is the way to do it here. It’s inspired the rest of us to make a stand.’
Greenwich NUT secretary, Tim Woodcock, said: ‘I’m against all privatisation of schools and hospitals.
‘Our public services should be kept accountable to the public, by the public and for the public.
‘The occupation is a fantastic, inspirational idea to all other trade unions and branches fighting privatisation.’
Andy Lamb, teacher at the nearby Copland Secondary School, is a stalwart of the occupation.
He said: ‘My tent is one of the green ones over there and I put in at least a couple of nights a week.
‘A lot of our children use this sports facility.
‘They are going to spend £30 million on an academy here, when there is a real shortage of schools in south Brent.
‘The support is growing.’
Another stalwart, Shane Johnschwager, said: ‘I’m a resident, a teacher.
‘I live in Tent City and will be doing so for the foreseeable future.
‘We are here ’till we win.’
NUT executive member, Hank Roberts, was one of the founders of the occupation.
He said: ‘It’s excellent. Loads of people are here from London and all over the country.
‘Our message is one of total defiance to those that dare think because of the wealth they have, all made from us anyhow, they can try and steal our state education service.
‘Being teachers behind a lot of the campaign here will enable us to teach them a lesson again.’
Hank concluded: ‘We are for the long haul.’
