OVER two thousand teachers held a ‘March for Education’ organised by the London Region National Union of Teachers in central London on Tuesday night.
Angry teachers chanted ‘Hey Ho, Gove has got to go!’ as they marched down Victoria Street to hold a rally in Westminster’s Emmanuel Centre.
Newham NUT member Charlotte Barrington told News Line ‘I’ve been a teacher for almost 20 years and today is the worst time in that period for low teacher morale.
‘We are also being faced with changes we know will not benefit the children we are working with.
‘The lengthening of the school day and the shortening of school holidays is detrimental to children and families.
‘We are being pushed into more strike action – we don’t want to but it is necessary.’
NUT member Frank Murphy was with a lively contingent of teachers from Tower Hamlets chanting ‘Gove must go’ all the way down Victoria Street.
He told News Line: ‘I think the unions should should strike and continue to strike until teachers and children get what they deserve.
‘Sixty-eight is too old to make teachers work.’
Also from Tower Hamlets NUT member Kaleda Khanum said: ‘I’ve been a teacher for five years and there has been from the head down a lot of pressure to remove older and more experienced teachers because they are on a higher pay scale.
‘A lot of the benefits of being a teacher have been taken away.’
Simon Sackwild from Harrow NUT said ‘The main issues are pay and conditions and putting a stop to what Gove is doing.
‘The attacks on teachers and education is getting worse and worse week on week.
‘We have to stand up now and show our solidarity with striking teachers in the North West on Thursday and show the government that we are doing something.
‘There will be a one day strike at least in the autumn and hopefully the other teaching unions will be joining in.’
Seamus Sheridan an NUT member from Copland school in Brent said: ‘I think all the changes the government is making in education is about saving money.
‘They are trying to sack as many of the teachers they can to bring in cheaper teachers.
‘We have been on strike recently to protect our pay and conditions because they are trying to make our school an academy.
‘We are taking further strike action on July 3rd – academies are a disaster, they do not improve education at all.’
Lambeth NUT secretary Sarah Tomlinson told News Line ‘I’m sick and tired of being told on the news that I am not doing my job properly when it is Gove who is not doing his job properly.
‘His plan for the primary curriculum is a return to the 1950s this will damage children’s education.
‘We will be striking in October and November, regionally and nationally in defence of decent state education for all.
‘This government is vulnerable and we should have escalated our action last November.
‘We want other unions to join our action when we announce the strike dates next term.’
Angry Newham NUT member Louise Cuffaro said: ‘This government won’t think we’re serious unless we all go out on strike, and are prepared to go out on strike for more than one day.
‘We don’t want to lose money but we will lose more unless we take action.
‘Our pay has been frozen now for the last four years.
‘He has gone for our pensions which we didn’t fight enough to keep.
‘He is now going for our pay while we’re dilly-dallying with regional strikes when we should be taking national strike action.
‘And now he is coming for our PPA (Preparation, Planning and Assessment).
‘We at present only get half a day which isn’t enough and that is now threatened.’
At the rally following the march NUT General Secretary Christine Blower said ‘We are determined to stand up for the education we believe in.
‘We send a massive thankyou to our members in the North West who have launched our strike action.
‘You know what this government is about, vilifying teachers.
‘Children are not getting the education system they deserve.
‘We want young children to learn through a play-based curriculum. We want comprehensive, inclusive state schools, not working to an imposed pedagogy.
‘It is perfectly clear overworked, stressed out teachers will not do the best job they can.
‘We in this room are the people who know what teaching is about.
‘This millionaire cabinet simply don’t understand.
‘We have rolled back the government on EBC, and we are starting to roll them back on history.
‘We have to work with other unions and continue this vigorous and lively campaign until we win.’
Vicky Easter bringing support from Unison teaching assistant members condemned the government for abolishing the school support staff negotiating committee.
‘Over 30,000 teaching assistants with average earnings trying to get equal pay are not able to get it.
‘There has been talk about teaching assistants having ‘negligent impact’ on pupils, this is a disgrace.
‘Axing teaching assistants will increase class sizes and will make the job harder just to save money.
‘Teaching assistants add value to schools and we will be launching a high profile campaign in defence of them.
‘Our young people have a right to good quality education.’
Kenny Fredericks from the National Association of Head Teachers said: ‘This government is out to destroy the unions in the same way as Thatcher attacked the miners.
‘Head teachers are not the enemy, the NAHT has passed a resolution of no confidence in Gove.
‘We have got to slow this government down, we don’t want them to say we’ve established things that can’t be dismantled.’
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