Members of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union working for Specialist Teaching and Learning Services (STLS) at Kent County Council began five days of strike action today over fundamental changes to their job roles which are undermining their ability to provide high-quality support for schools and pupils with disabilities and special needs.

Teachers working for STLS work with schools to provide education support services for children and young people across Kent with disabilities or complex needs.

Last September the council took control of STLS and made significant changes to job roles, effectively removing STLS teachers from working directly within schools.
 
Strike action is planned for 4th, 5th, 10th, 11th and 12th March.
 
Matt Wrack, NASUWT General Secretary, said:
 
“Kent County Council have imposed these changes without fully consulting staff or their unions and the impact has been that teachers, schools and pupils are losing out.

“Teachers working for STLS are not now able to do the job they signed up for. To compound matters the council has also outlined further proposals for the service which would result in members been moved further away the core of their roles working closely with children and their families.

“Kent County Council needs to start listening to the voices of its teachers and put in place changes to ensure that they are able to continue doing their vital work with schools, parents and pupils.”
 
Colin Mills, NASUWT National Executive Member for Kent, said:
 
“The work they do matters hugely to teachers working for STLS and they are immensely frustrated that these changes are taking them away from the frontline of working directly with parents, children and schools where they are most needed.

“They do not believe that these changes are in the best interests of ensuring that mainstream schools in Kent can successfully meet the needs of pupils with special needs and disabilities, indeed they are hampering efforts at inclusion.”