Workers Revolutionary Party - GOVERNMENT DRIVING TEACHERS OUT OF THE PROFESSION! – Kevin Courtney tells the NEU Annual Conference

The News Line: Feature Thursday, 18 April 2019 GOVERNMENT DRIVING TEACHERS OUT OF THE PROFESSION! – Kevin Courtney tells the NEU Annual Conference

Teachers lobbying the Department for Education demanding the implementation of the School Teachers Review Body pay awards

‘The government is doing a far better job of driving teachers out of the profession than they are solving the issue of excessive workload,’ National Education Union (NEU) Joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney said at the union’s Annual Conference in Liverpool this week.

Speaking on Resolution 19, Workload, on Monday, Courtney said: ‘So long as the main drivers of a performance-based system are still in place, schools will continue to be in the grip of fear, over-regulation and a lack of trust.’

Fellow NEU Joint General Secretary, Dr Mary Bousted, said: ‘Workload in schools remains a significant problem, posing a major threat to schools’ effectiveness and pupils’ learning and is driving the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

‘The workload problem is across the workforce, affecting leaders, teachers and support staff. There is no greater challenge in the teacher recruitment and retention crisis than that of reducing workload and improving the nature of teachers’ work, and the high stakes, low quality accountability system is a huge barrier to achieving this.

‘In the National Education Union’s latest survey on workload, released today, there are clear messages from our members about both the quantity of work and the quality of their working lives.’

In the union’s State of Education survey of 8,600 of the NEU’s more than 450,000 members from across the UK which Bousted referred to, teachers were asked: ‘Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?’ and 40% of them replied ‘No longer working in education.’

The NEU described the answer as evidence of a ‘culture of fear’ in schools.
Its survey found most of those planning to leave education blamed ‘huge workloads and excessive accountability’.

One teacher said: ‘Working 70 hours a week for many years has meant my health and family life have suffered. I am getting out before the job kills me.’ Another said: ‘My job is no longer about children. It’s about a 60-hour week with pressure to push children’s data through.’

More than half of respondents said their work-life balance has got worse in the past year, with one saying: ‘With a young family, and despite working part-time, I have come to realise that a job in education is not conducive to family life.’

Over a quarter of teachers who have been in the job between two and five years, said that they plan to quit the classroom altogether within five years. At the NEU conference members voted on Monday to reject the government’s policy on teachers’ pay, including its unprecedented decision to reject the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) on the 2018 pay increase, its attempt to constrain the STRB in its recommendations this year, and its continuing push to restrict pay progression and even deny the right to a cost of living pay increase.

Commenting on the passing of Motion 21, teachers pay, Bousted said: ‘Teachers are becoming increasingly angry about their pay, given the government’s continuing failure to deliver on workload. ‘The effect of years of cumulative pay cuts is mounting up. ‘Pay is down by some 15% in real terms since 2010 and continues to fall further behind other professions.

‘A retention crisis is developing in all phases of teaching from newly qualified teachers, through mid-career, to school leaders – one in three of whom leave their jobs within three years of being appointed.

‘The government’s unprecedented decision to reject the STRB’s recommendations last year and impose a lower pay rise on half the profession was totally misguided. We cannot let that happen again.’ Commenting on the passing of Motion 7 ‘End of Privatisation of Education’ Courtney said: ‘No school should be forcibly academised against the wishes of its parents, governors, staff and pupils and the NEU will stand side by side with those opposing such a move.

‘The NEU will continue to campaign for the end of academisation of schools – whether “voluntary” or “forced” and for all academies to be brought back within the oversight of democratically elected local authorities.

‘We believe that is the only way to ensure that England can once again secure the world class education system our children and young people deserve.’ Commenting on the passing of Motion 16, Boycott High Stakes Summative Testing in Primary Schools, Courtney said: ‘The resolution reflects the deep unhappiness of primary teachers in England with their current, SATs-based system of assessment.

‘There can be no lasting solution to problems of children’s well-being, teacher workload, curriculum narrowness and teaching to the test unless our assessment system changes.’

On Wednesday, the NEU released the results of its State of Education Survey, on the question of Young People’s Mental Health, warning that mental health problems amongst young people have hit ‘crisis point’. NEU members conveyed tragedies that could be prevented by proper government funding.

They are also concerned about the effects of the ‘exam factory’ culture of over-testing, which is so damaging to young people. The number of young people with mental ill-health has increased significantly since 2017, but this survey makes very clear that resources simply cannot keep pace with demand. The chronic underfunding of schools and external mental health services is only making matters worse.

There was an overwhelming response from members when asked if they had noticed a change in the number of pupil/student mental health problems in the past two years.
• 83% confirmed that they had seen an increase.
• Just 7% said they had not noticed a change and 10% could not be sure.

When broken down, the results are alarmingly high across all sectors.
Comments included: ‘We are at a crisis point with mental health.’
‘Seems to be affecting younger and younger children.’ ‘I’d say mental health issues have gone up from 1 in 10 to 5 in 10.’

‘Our mental health ambassadors (pupils) are reporting increased volume of contacts from pupils.’ ‘More pupils seem to have anxiety about doing well at school and worry a lot.’ ‘SATS pressure and general expectations are taking their toll on more vulnerable pupils. We have 9-year-olds talking about suicide.’

‘Much more anxiety, self-harming. Three suicides in three years in my school alone.’
Members were asked if they had the right provisions in their workplace for supporting pupils with mental health issues. Whilst a majority of teachers (59%) reported they had learning support assistants, less than 50% reported a school counsellor. Only 30% identified external specialist support, while less than 30% had a school nurse.

The government instead suggest mental health first aiders, rather than mental health professionals – but only 12% of schools even had these. Comments included: ‘I spend most lunchtimes and 40% of my time nurturing children experiencing a range of mental health issues … I am currently working with 15 children who have been bereaved, have anxiety, have PTSD or a parent with a terminal/life threatening illness.’

‘There is a huge waiting list for referrals in the area we work in, so we are told that pupils will have to wait over a year to see a counsellor.’ ‘Lost our school counsellor due to lack of funds.’ ‘Mental health first aid is a lip service. Seven members of staff trained – nothing we didn’t already know and it does not make us mental health practitioners! Massive myth!’

Members were asked to identify what prevents them from fully supporting young people who are experiencing mental health issues. There was significant blame apportioned to real-terms funding cuts (57%) in this multi-choice answer, along with a reduction in teaching assistants (51%) and learning support assistants (40%), the narrowing of the curriculum (32%), an ‘exam factory’ assessment system (53%), and personal workload (64%). Comments included:
‘Like a slow-motion car crash for our young people that I am powerless to stop and can’t bear to watch or be part of anymore.’ ‘Exam factory culture is definitely a huge contributor to the increase in pupil mental health problems.’

‘Admin staff not being replaced and teachers absorbing work.’
‘The amount of children needing mental health support has increased but the budget can’t sustain the employment of any more practitioners. We already heavily invest in 3-4 for average sized infant school. The children with significant mental health issues have increased dramatically over the past four years.’

Commenting on the survey results, Kevin Courtney said: ‘These are alarming reports of a growing crisis in our schools and society. ‘It is very clear that this government’s policies on education and school funding are contributing to a terrible and destructive situation for young people and the education workforce.

‘Schools can’t solve this alone and government’s underfunding of public services is damaging the next generation from an early age. ‘Teachers are also witnessing an increase in child poverty and its terrible effects, which can all too often impact negatively on mental health. ‘Above all, this is about pupils, and it is incumbent upon the education system to do all it can to support anyone with mental health problems.’