Commenting on the King’s Speech, Dr Patrick Roach,
General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union,
said:
“The programme of measures set out in the King’s Speech confirms
that the immediate and real issues of concern to teachers and
families are not being addressed by the Government.
“It is deeply regrettable that no programme of new measures was
announced to tackle widening inequality, the continuing cost of
living crisis, to increase access to affordable housing or to end
the blight of the deepening teacher recruitment and retention
crisis in our schools and colleges.
“The Government taking aim at the rights of ordinary working
people in this last King’s Speech before a General Election is
both shameful and reprehensible.
“Whilst the Prime Minister has committed to long-term reform with
the introduction of his much-vaunted Advanced British Standard,
the urgent and pressing issues affecting young people’s access to
high-quality education and training today were entirely missing
from the Government’s programme.
“Whilst the aim to restrict the sale and marketing of
e-cigarettes to children is positive, the Government’s ambition
should go much further. The Government should follow the evidence
and protect all children through a legislative requirement for
plain packaging of e-cigarettes and an outright ban on the sale
of disposable vapes.”
