NASUWT fights for BME teachers
The NASUWT is fighting a “continuing battle” to challenge the discrimination faced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) teachers in schools, the Union’s members have been told.
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, said she was continuing to fight and work on the issues and problems faced by BME teachers.
Discrimination cases were being tracked and the training and awareness of the Union’s caseworkers was ongoing.
Ms Keates was speaking as more than 300 members gathered in Birmingham for the BME Consultation Conference.
She told delegates the conference gave BME members a direct input into the Union’s policy-making process.
The NASUWT would continue to work hard on the issues that BME members had said were particularly important to them.
She said: “I am really proud that so many of you make the effort to attend on the weekend when I know how challenging so many of your working lives actually are.
“These conferences give you a voice in the policy making of the NASUWT. We have continued to work on the issues that you have told us are important to you.
“We are fighting as you know a continual battle to challenge discrimination in the workplace.
“We are stepping up our casework analysis management system to actually track discrimination cases.
“We are continuing our training and awareness raising of our caseworkers, something you have raised on a number of occasions with us.”
Ms Keates said there was “no better time” to be discussing the theme of the conference, entitled ‘Organising for the Future’ than at a time when the Union had embarked on a national programme of action short of strike action to raise standards in the classroom.
Ms Keates outlined many of the problems facing the profession at the moment and said that by giving overwhelming backing to the Standing Up for Standards Campaign, NASUWT members had embarked on a “quiet revolution” to reclaim their classroom.
Despite the problems faced by teachers, classroom teaching was still “one of the most important and one of the best and most rewarding jobs in the public services,” Ms Keates stressed.
She added: “What we shouldn’t do is have talented and dedicated teachers leaving the profession to then be broken up by a hostile Government.
“It is vital that teachers stay in the profession because there is no better job when you are being treated properly and children and young people are being treated properly.
Following her speech members took part in a series of practical workshops and also heard a presentation by the Future Leaders organisation, which aims to fast-track talented teachers into headship.
Workshops at the conference included advice on pay structure, performance management and professional development with Bob Johnson, NASUWT National Official for Salaries, Pensions and Conditions of Service.
There were also sessions dealing with culturally-driven abuse, attainment gaps and how to narrow them, leadership development and taking control of your finances.
Members show 'courage and determination' by Standing Up For Standards
