In the wake of Labour's landslide victory and Blair's much vaunted commitment to improving education, staff at two Lewisham schools spent much of the summer term opposing job cuts.
At Marvels Lane School, members of the NUT and NASUWT have taken strike action over a quarter of the full-time class teacher posts being cut, with two teachers facing compulsory redundancy from September. This term there will be approximately the same number of pupils on roll but with three fewer teachers. Class sizes will rise with an immediate effect on standards.
At Watergate School, which has pupils with a wide range of severe learning difficulties, cutbacks of over £20,000 have been proposed. As many as five teaching assistant and nursery nurse posts could be lost. Such a reduction will seriously threaten not only the quality of education for a very vulnerable group but also the safety of both pupils and staff. Being under Special Measures following OFSTED has made the task of opposing these proposals more difficult for staff and governors.
Following the announcement of these cuts, and despite it being near the end of term, staff at both schools successfully lobbied the education committee in July, a meeting called to discuss raising standards in Lewisham's schools! A close working relationship between the NUT and UNISON has helped in trying to resolve these disputes and continue discussions with the LEA and the schools.
These attacks need to be seen in the context of the QAD Audits and Capability Guidelines that the Council are trying to impose. This OFSTED-style Audit of teaching was rejected as demoralising by 71% of teachers in the Joint Union Survey. 86% said that individual 1 to 7 gradings should be stopped. One implication of the Capability Code is that staff could be sacked just for being unwell. A number of schools in the borough are currently in dispute over implementation of the code.
The increasing workload and worsening morale in Lewisham sits awkwardly with Blair's commitment to education. Perhaps, Tony, you would like to come and "meet the people" in Lewisham schools and explain what's going on?