NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union is today calling on
the political parties to commit to an ambitious programme aimed
at securing a world-class education system backed up by
significant investment in the teaching profession.
Our Manifesto For Teachers calls on a future government to
recognise the realities of the deepening recruitment and
retention crisis caused by the lack of pay restoration,
spiralling workloads and long working hours, the pressures on
schools and colleges, the loss of specialist provision and the
real-terms funding cuts to school and college budgets.
The policy platform sets out the priorities for the profession
and is designed raise the morale and status of teachers and
headteachers, which we believe is essential to allow them to
provide the best education and support to all children and young
people.
We are calling on the parties to commit to a New Deal for
Teachers in their manifestos which include:
Fully-funded real terms pay restoration;
The right for every child to be taught by a qualified
teacher;
Statutory, contractual conditions of service for all
teachers and headteachers including a maximum 35-hour working
time limit;
A commitment to increase teacher numbers and improve
teacher-pupil ratios;
Tackling violence and harassment by pupils and parents
through strengthened legislation;
Banning fire and rehire practices by publicly funded
schools and colleges;
Equal rights for supply teachers;
Access to affordable housing fo teachers who work in
areas of high housing cost.
The NASUWT is calling on a future government to address the
serious challenges facing the education system if it is to take
forward a viable and effective programme for securing world-class
educational opportunity for all.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:
“No government can claim to value teachers whilst presiding over
a system that has seen teachers’ pay fall by more than 25% in
real terms in the last decade and when there is mounting evidence
of teachers being broken by excessive working hours and by the
unsustainable demands placed on them.
“The status and morale of teachers and headteachers as members of
a highly regarded and accordingly remunerated occupation need to
be protected and enhanced.
“This is an ambitious programme for the Government, but NASUWT
believes that such an agenda is essential to securing a
world-class education system that allows all children and young
people to flourish and succeed.
“We urge all parties to commit to pursuing this policy platform.
Teachers are voters, too, and we ask all political parties to
listen and respond to the priorities identified by the teaching
profession.
“Our children’s education depends on securing a Better Deal for
Teachers.”
