MichaelDavern

So it is just the NUT that you are against then based on the experience of one Headteacher. Do you truly believe that her style was to do with the NUT and do you think, though, that trade unions have been a force for good (holidays, pensions etc) in all sectors not just in education? You personally have benefitted from the struggles of trade unionists including the NUT over the last hundred years. Struggles that go beyond the working conditions and pay of the members just as the current campaigns against academies are bigger than than a campaign to protect teachers' working conditions and pay.

Academies cannot "get rid" of teachers any more quickly than in any other type of school. What is it BB100 that you have against unions? Is it just the teaching unions or all unions in general? Are you a member of a union? have you ever been? If so why? Do you not see how over a hundred plus years unions have been a force for good for all workers(holidays. lower working hours, employment rights) which would not have been given up but for the struggles of organised labour. Trade unions have also been a check and a balance with regards to often ill-thought out government decisions such as these fast-tracked academies we are seeing at the moment.

There was concern a couple of years ago about the numbers of pupils who are eventually to go there and it was nickamed the "sardine academy". It will not reach its capacity for a few more years and with no playground, sports activities for this sports specialist academy will be done on the park.

BB100 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Marmora Man Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > In my experience union officials are less > > concerned with quality of output than certainty > of > > employment. So yes - I do not see the NUT as a > > force for good in education. > > > This statement appears correct when on the news > yesterday they reported that only 11 teachers have > been sacked for incompetance in the past FORTY > YEARS. The problems with schools is the teachers > are not performance managed. And it is the unions > that have managed to prevent it. Responding to the first part of course unions are concerned with keeping members in employment but that isn't our only concern, unions also have wider concerns around what is happening in education in general e.g. narrowing of curriculum, teaching to the test etc and often intervene at different levels from national to local to promote more democratic involvement in an educational system that is becoming increasingly centralised and proscribed. It is also important to note that many work related benefits e.g. holidays that are taken for granted by us now, were won for us by trade unions in the past. As for the Panarama report (tonight 8:30) I am hoping that it will show why so many capability cases are lost by the employer. This is usually through not following procedures correctly and for Performance Management not being carried out properly too. Anyhow, should there be a need for more debate on this, someone could start a new discussion to which I would happily contribute. Getting back to academies, what do the people who have posted so far feel about Kingsdale and Charter both becoming academies?

Great debate on this topic, which Is what I hoped when starting it. I am Joint Secretary of Southwark NUT but also an East Dul resident. I just wanted to know what people thought about the issues around academies and having more ofthem around here. This is in advance of the public meeting on the 13th where we can continue the debate in person. The recent posts of admissions are interesting and I can understand the confusion. No state funded school inclduing an academy can select 100% just the number for its specialism(s) up to 20%. There then should be a range of children in bands for the other non-selected pupils.

the anti academies site is a good source of info ladywotlunches, It also has links to what the pro-academy view is too

Hi Peckham Rose: I quote: www.natsoc.org.uk/academies/academiesgovernanceandtransitionupdatedoct07.doc - RE and Worship The provisions relating to religious education and collective worship at an academy are part of the funding agreement for each academy. They are not imposed by the Education Acts and do not as such flow from designation. However, in the DfES model funding agreement, the optional clauses for denominational RE and collective worship are stated to be for use where it is intended that the academy will be designated as having a religious character. Therefore designation should be seen as part of the package that secures the religious character of a church academy along with appropriate provisions in the charitable objects and the funding agreement. This means that it is up to the academy whether to have collective worship or not

Agreed Penguin, privatisation is also a political act, transferring what is public property paid for by local taxpayers(buildings/fields/school equipment) to an asset for a private company which an academy would be.

www.antiacademies.org.uk

You are right. They are bound by the same rules but can select up to 20% for their specialism which happens already as Foundation schools. They can't select as a private school would because they are state-funded.

Academies are state funded independent schools. So Charter and Kingsdale would run outside of local support networks and be on their own. The extra money is a bit of a misnomer since it is the share of the money held back for the school and held centrally to provided for services such as Educational Welfare Officers etc and since the schools would still have to spend some of this on some services that must be provided and some of the money would go on paying increased salaries to the principals and senior leaders (expecting to be paid on a par with other academy leaders). This extra money would not necessarily go to the pupils in terms of resources and support.

Charter, Kingdale, and the two Dulwich Infant/Junior schools have expressed an interest in becoming an academy. Public Meeting the week after next DO WE NEED ANY MORE ACADEMIES IN EAST DULWICH?

As the Southwark NUT Joint Secretary and an anti-academies campaigner I was asked to share my comments concerning the Nunhead and Peckham Rye community council meeting on Wednesday night. Firstly I was very impressed with the turnout there must have been over 150 people there, with lots of interest in the Highshore campaign as well as the Harris campaign. I was also impressed with Councillor Nardell who importantly reminded everyone that although a school was needed and needed in that location it didn't have to be owned and run by a carpet maker. I agreed with the concerns about the building - indeed in today's South London Press I learnt that the designs are architectually flawed; the result of a rush job. However I was concerned upon hearing that some "deal" had been made with Harris over when opening the girls' School, to allow for a boys' school to be built with local parental involvement. The NUT supports the idea of community schools - LEA controlled and accountable to the public for the public funds it is given. Academies are private concerns not subject to as much accountability, with their own procedures on admissions etc and are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act- so I do think that those people trying to make deals with Harris should be aware of that. What they should probably push for is a Foundation School (like Charter) where parents have more control and whilst I would prefer a community comprehensive school to be built on that site (with an appropriate number of pupils!) a Foundation School is more preferable than an Academy. My final impression from the meeting was that it was typical Southwark LEA - no question was properly answered and we all left feeling that the consultation process is a charade with Southwark always doing the minimum level and always stating that this way was the only way. I do think that the EDEN/EDGE campaigners can win this fight - but I fear future fights with Harris once the school is open! FIGHT FOR A FOUNDATION SCHOOL OR EVEN BETTER A COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE MORE SAY ONCE IT IS OPENED - say no to Academies - keep state schools in public hands. ======================================================================================================================== In September Southwark NUT/Southwark Anti-Academies Alliance is planning a literary evening in East Dulwich with Frances Beckett (The Guardian) author of "The Great City Academy Fraud" and Terry Wrigley "Another School is Possible" we are looking for a venue so if you have any ideas or want more information contact me at mwdavern@hotmail.co.uk