The National Education Union (NEU) has “put on notice” the incoming Labor government that cuts to education “will not be tolerated”, its leader has said.
Speaking at the first conference in Bournemouth this morning, general secretary Daniel Kebede said the Conservative-led government had “failed education, education professionals, the children we teach and the communities we serve”.
He mimicked Education Secretary Gillian Keegan's 'hot mic' moment last year, accusing her and her predecessors since 2010 of doing a “terrible job”.
Conservatives promised “small class sizes; the best curriculum and education system based on the best evidence and practice. They promised to improve the status of the teaching profession.”
In 2015, they pledged to hire more maths and physics teachers and “protect school funding.” In 2019, it “committed to investing in PE and sports facilities, along with investment in the arts and music”.
“The meeting, not a single one of these promises was kept.”
He warned: “Rather than being based on evidence and best practice, this government is one of the most ideologically driven.”
'We are ready to work with Labor, but change cannot be cheap'
Opinion polls show Labor will form the next government and the party has promised “welcome reforms” including hiring more teachers, free school breakfasts, replacing single-word Ofsted rulings and reviewing assessment and curriculum, Kebede said.
But this is “far from the scale of change we need to see in education”.
“We are ready to work with the Labor Government to embark on a journey of renewal. “To rebuild and revitalize, to inspire hope in young people, and to champion a new era of possibility and progress.”
But “change cannot come cheaply and Labor must be proud to say that education is its top priority.”
Austerity has “destroyed education” and the NEU “will not tolerate Tory cuts and we will not tolerate cuts to the workforce”.
“We are therefore putting the next Labor government on notice, just as we have put this government on notice with Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.”
‘Invest in education’
Kebede said the next government “must invest in education and young people.” He is committed to reducing class sizes and rebuilding and refurbishing schools.
“We want the next government to close the achievement gap for poor children and tackle child poverty.
“Removing the two-child limit and introducing free school meals for primary school children are two essential and immediate starting points for Labor to commit to.”
The next government must recommit to teaching competitive careers to solve the recruitment and retention crisis. And we think it's wrong for support staff to be paid little more than minimum wage.
“We also need a new national contract to ensure teachers are valued as professionals.”
However, in this election the NEU “will not tell members or parents who they will vote for”.
“We will campaign for all political parties to invest in education and educators and end child poverty. We will fight to make education a priority that politicians cannot ignore.
“But the minutes, the direction of this coalition that I lead, is not simply waiting for a change in government. This is not the NEU way. We are a union that fights, campaigns and organizes.”
In case of strike, 'the ball is in Keegan's court'
A motion was passed at this week's meeting to wait for the Government's September pay offer before moving to a strike vote.
Kebede said the move “set the strategy.”
“Our members never do anything lightly. They always want to be in the classroom doing what they do best: teaching and supporting our children.
“But if we give them no choice, they will act to save our schools. And that will be yours, Gillian Keegan. There is no going back to STRB. We all know it's not independent.
“Gillian Keegan, now is your chance. Additional industrial action can be prevented. The ball is in your court.”
Kebede also warned: “Politicians who scapegoat refugees for political gain should realize that every time they spew nonsense about refugees, they are making life much more difficult for many children at school.” They are fanning the flames of racism.
“And let me be clear at the meeting, this is intentional. This is especially true during an election year. Divide and rule. What they call the ‘unwoke culture war’ is nothing but old-fashioned intolerance.
“They seek to exploit our perceived differences, incite fear and hatred, and drive divisions between our communities.”