Sally Weale
Education correspondent
The Guardian
Wed, 3 April 2024
Daniel Kebede has accused the government of ‘burning down the house’ as it prepares to leave power.Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Teachers in England and Wales could strike again as early as September, according to the head of the UK’s largest education union, who warned of “growing frustration” within the profession as the country heads towards a general election.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said further strikes were still on the table after nearly 150,000 teachers voted for industrial action in an indicative ballot, the results of which were published last week.
Speaking to the media before a debate on pay at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth, Kebede said education was in a “polycrisis” and urged the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, to “listen deeply” to avoid ending up on a collision course.
Related: Prospect of more teachers’ strikes in England as union ‘insulted’ by pay offer
Kebede, who is attending his first conference as general secretary, did not mince his words, accusing the government of “burning down the house” as it prepared to leave power and describing a recent meeting with Keegan as “absolutely abysmal”.
He was due to address delegates in a private session on Wednesday to give them full details of the preliminary ballot results, in which 90.3% of voting members in England said they supported strike action, with a turnout of just above the legal threshold of 50%, before a full debate on Thursday.
An emergency motion, which will go before conference, falls short of calling for a formal ballot for strike action, focusing instead on building a campaign for a fully funded above-inflation pay rise. However, there are likely to be amendments.
“Should conference commit us to a formal ballot, I will absolutely be fighting for that and putting all efforts into that campaign,” said Kebede.
Last year, members took part in a series of strikes, causing widespread disruption, which were finally called off after the government made an improved pay offer of 6.5%.
The motion before conference this year contains a warning for both Conservatives and Labour: “Conference believes the strongest use of the ballot at this moment is to serve notice on Rishi Sunak – and Keir Starmer – that members are prepared to act industrially if they fail to deliver.
“Conference understands that Labour will likely form the next government. Whilst we will be able to work with a Labour government on some policy areas, we will need to campaign against them on others.”
Whatever the outcome at conference, the union leadership can decide to call a formal ballot for strike action at a later date. “The priority is that we win on the issue of pay and funding. The campaign will remain and industrial action will remain a tactic that could be deployed to win on the issue,” said Kebede.
Asked about the potential turnout in any formal ballot, Kebede said: “We have to absolutely consider the amount of work it would take to get through this government’s anti-democratic threshold in the context of a formal ballot. I don’t think, however, the mood is declining. I think, if anything, there’s becoming more and more frustration amongst the profession. They are realising this government is burning down the house as they leave government.”
Asked what the earliest date for future strikes might be, he said: “My view is, if there’s a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September.”
In February, the Department for Education published its submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), the independent group that advises on teachers’ pay. Rather than specifying a percentage pay increase, the education secretary asked the STRB to make its recommendation “more sustainable” for school budgets, which has been taken to mean 1%-2%.
Kebede said the NEU would be campaigning alongside other unions on cuts and funding. But it could find itself alone if it presses ahead with a formal ballot. Last weekend, delegates at the annual conference of the NASUWT teaching union passed a motion that called for political campaigning to “take priority over industrial action”.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The independent STRB is currently considering evidence for this year’s pay award. Unions should engage with this process instead of striking before they even know what the pay recommendations are.
“Further strike action would cause more disruption to pupils who have already lost over 25m school days due to last year’s industrial action. Overall school funding is rising to over £60bn in 2024/25, its highest ever level in real terms per pupil – and teachers have already benefited from two historic pay awards totalling over 12% in just two years.”
A Welsh government spokesperson said: “The UK government’s austerity agenda places significant pressure on all budgets. As a result, the budget for 2024-25 is now worth £700m less in real terms than when it was set in 2021, and meeting the cost of the teachers’ pay award should be considered in this context.
“We recognise NEU Cymru’s concerns and will continue to work and engage with them as part of the social partnership approach here in Wales.”
Wed, 3 April 2024
Daniel Kebede has accused the government of ‘burning down the house’ as it prepares to leave power.Photograph: Guy Smallman/Getty Images
Teachers in England and Wales could strike again as early as September, according to the head of the UK’s largest education union, who warned of “growing frustration” within the profession as the country heads towards a general election.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said further strikes were still on the table after nearly 150,000 teachers voted for industrial action in an indicative ballot, the results of which were published last week.
Speaking to the media before a debate on pay at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth, Kebede said education was in a “polycrisis” and urged the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, to “listen deeply” to avoid ending up on a collision course.
Related: Prospect of more teachers’ strikes in England as union ‘insulted’ by pay offer
Kebede, who is attending his first conference as general secretary, did not mince his words, accusing the government of “burning down the house” as it prepared to leave power and describing a recent meeting with Keegan as “absolutely abysmal”.
He was due to address delegates in a private session on Wednesday to give them full details of the preliminary ballot results, in which 90.3% of voting members in England said they supported strike action, with a turnout of just above the legal threshold of 50%, before a full debate on Thursday.
An emergency motion, which will go before conference, falls short of calling for a formal ballot for strike action, focusing instead on building a campaign for a fully funded above-inflation pay rise. However, there are likely to be amendments.
“Should conference commit us to a formal ballot, I will absolutely be fighting for that and putting all efforts into that campaign,” said Kebede.
Last year, members took part in a series of strikes, causing widespread disruption, which were finally called off after the government made an improved pay offer of 6.5%.
The motion before conference this year contains a warning for both Conservatives and Labour: “Conference believes the strongest use of the ballot at this moment is to serve notice on Rishi Sunak – and Keir Starmer – that members are prepared to act industrially if they fail to deliver.
“Conference understands that Labour will likely form the next government. Whilst we will be able to work with a Labour government on some policy areas, we will need to campaign against them on others.”
Whatever the outcome at conference, the union leadership can decide to call a formal ballot for strike action at a later date. “The priority is that we win on the issue of pay and funding. The campaign will remain and industrial action will remain a tactic that could be deployed to win on the issue,” said Kebede.
Asked about the potential turnout in any formal ballot, Kebede said: “We have to absolutely consider the amount of work it would take to get through this government’s anti-democratic threshold in the context of a formal ballot. I don’t think, however, the mood is declining. I think, if anything, there’s becoming more and more frustration amongst the profession. They are realising this government is burning down the house as they leave government.”
Asked what the earliest date for future strikes might be, he said: “My view is, if there’s a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September.”
In February, the Department for Education published its submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), the independent group that advises on teachers’ pay. Rather than specifying a percentage pay increase, the education secretary asked the STRB to make its recommendation “more sustainable” for school budgets, which has been taken to mean 1%-2%.
Kebede said the NEU would be campaigning alongside other unions on cuts and funding. But it could find itself alone if it presses ahead with a formal ballot. Last weekend, delegates at the annual conference of the NASUWT teaching union passed a motion that called for political campaigning to “take priority over industrial action”.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The independent STRB is currently considering evidence for this year’s pay award. Unions should engage with this process instead of striking before they even know what the pay recommendations are.
“Further strike action would cause more disruption to pupils who have already lost over 25m school days due to last year’s industrial action. Overall school funding is rising to over £60bn in 2024/25, its highest ever level in real terms per pupil – and teachers have already benefited from two historic pay awards totalling over 12% in just two years.”
A Welsh government spokesperson said: “The UK government’s austerity agenda places significant pressure on all budgets. As a result, the budget for 2024-25 is now worth £700m less in real terms than when it was set in 2021, and meeting the cost of the teachers’ pay award should be considered in this context.
“We recognise NEU Cymru’s concerns and will continue to work and engage with them as part of the social partnership approach here in Wales.”
Teachers could strike in September, union says
Hazel Shearing,Education correspondent,
'Austerity agenda'
In a letter to the STRB, last month, Ms Keegan said she supported a return of teacher pay awards this year "to a more sustainable level than the previous two historically high pay awards".
The DfE said the unions "should engage" with the STRB process "instead of striking before they even know what the pay recommendations are".
Overall school funding was rising to more than £60bn in 2024-25 and teachers had "already benefitted from two historic pay awards totalling over 12% in just two years".
A Welsh government official said “the UK government’s austerity agenda places significant pressure on all budgets” and “meeting the cost of the teachers’ pay award should be considered in this context”.
Hazel Shearing,Education correspondent,
@hazelshearing
Teachers in England and Wales could strike again over pay, in September, the National Education Union has said.
Members debating pay, on Thursday, are expected to vote on whether to hold a formal strike ballot.
But the NEU leadership could call such a ballot even without that backing. And a strike would then require a majority in favour, on a turnout of at least 50%
The Department for Education in England said further strikes would "cause more disruption to pupils".
Teacher across the UK went on strike last year, including eight days by NEU members in England.
PE teachers retrain in maths to fill school gaps
Teacher strikes end as unions accept pay deal
Speaking at the NEU's conference, in Bournemouth, general secretary Daniel Kebede said there was "more and more frustration developing amongst" teachers.
"My view is if there is a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September," he said.
Members have already been asked if they would strike for a fully funded above-inflation pay rise, as part of an informal consultative ballot in recent weeks.
And in England and Wales, most responded, with about 90% saying they would be prepared to strike - a result Mr Kebede called "exceptionally significant", adding England's Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, "has to take that seriously".
NASUWT, the Teachers' Union, also held an informal consultative ballot, in England - but 78% of those who voted rejected a formal ballot.
General secretary Patrick Roach told its conference, in Harrogate, N Yorks: “Our members have weighed that up and their priority right now is not about causing more disruption to lives that are already in tumult, but actually saying we need a government that's on the side of teachers and on the side of children and young people.”
The union would be "looking carefully at how the government responds" to calls for a pay rise, he said, adding: "2023 was a year of action - this must be the year of change."
Retaining staff
Strikes in England ended last year, after all four teaching unions accepted the government's 6.5% pay rise, in July.
The starting salary rose to £30,000, last year - but experienced teachers' pay this school year remains 12% lower than in 2010-11, once rising living costs are taken into account, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research.
And unions have continued to call for a fully funded above-inflation pay increase this year, to help tackle difficulties recruiting and retaining staff.
No formal offer has been made for teachers' 2024-25 pay award in England or Wales.
In England, the School Teachers' Review Body is expected to give its recommendation this term.
Teachers in England and Wales could strike again over pay, in September, the National Education Union has said.
Members debating pay, on Thursday, are expected to vote on whether to hold a formal strike ballot.
But the NEU leadership could call such a ballot even without that backing. And a strike would then require a majority in favour, on a turnout of at least 50%
The Department for Education in England said further strikes would "cause more disruption to pupils".
Teacher across the UK went on strike last year, including eight days by NEU members in England.
PE teachers retrain in maths to fill school gaps
Teacher strikes end as unions accept pay deal
Speaking at the NEU's conference, in Bournemouth, general secretary Daniel Kebede said there was "more and more frustration developing amongst" teachers.
"My view is if there is a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September," he said.
Members have already been asked if they would strike for a fully funded above-inflation pay rise, as part of an informal consultative ballot in recent weeks.
And in England and Wales, most responded, with about 90% saying they would be prepared to strike - a result Mr Kebede called "exceptionally significant", adding England's Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, "has to take that seriously".
NASUWT, the Teachers' Union, also held an informal consultative ballot, in England - but 78% of those who voted rejected a formal ballot.
General secretary Patrick Roach told its conference, in Harrogate, N Yorks: “Our members have weighed that up and their priority right now is not about causing more disruption to lives that are already in tumult, but actually saying we need a government that's on the side of teachers and on the side of children and young people.”
The union would be "looking carefully at how the government responds" to calls for a pay rise, he said, adding: "2023 was a year of action - this must be the year of change."
Retaining staff
Strikes in England ended last year, after all four teaching unions accepted the government's 6.5% pay rise, in July.
The starting salary rose to £30,000, last year - but experienced teachers' pay this school year remains 12% lower than in 2010-11, once rising living costs are taken into account, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research.
And unions have continued to call for a fully funded above-inflation pay increase this year, to help tackle difficulties recruiting and retaining staff.
No formal offer has been made for teachers' 2024-25 pay award in England or Wales.
In England, the School Teachers' Review Body is expected to give its recommendation this term.
'Austerity agenda'
In a letter to the STRB, last month, Ms Keegan said she supported a return of teacher pay awards this year "to a more sustainable level than the previous two historically high pay awards".
The DfE said the unions "should engage" with the STRB process "instead of striking before they even know what the pay recommendations are".
Overall school funding was rising to more than £60bn in 2024-25 and teachers had "already benefitted from two historic pay awards totalling over 12% in just two years".
A Welsh government official said “the UK government’s austerity agenda places significant pressure on all budgets” and “meeting the cost of the teachers’ pay award should be considered in this context”.
NEU Conference 2024National Education Union conference unanimously votes for strikes against Ofsted workloads
A school teacher looking stressed next to piles of classroom books
A school teacher looking stressed next to piles of classroom books
MORNING STAR
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2024
DELEGATES at the National Education Union (NEU) annual conference gave their backing today to strikes over excessive workload pressures caused by Ofsted inspections.
Delegates unanimously endorsed a motion calling on Britain’s largest education union to support members taking strike action “where ‘mocksteds,’ deep dives and excessive workload have arisen through Ofsted pressures.”
They also passed a motion calling for Ofsted to be abolished and replaced by a locally overseen system based on self-evaluation, support and collaboration between schools.
Speaking to the media, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Only 3 per cent of our teacher members trust Ofsted to be a sound and reliable arbiter of standards.
“The fact of the matter is it has lost the complete trust of the profession and I would say is well beyond ‘requires improvement’ — it is in ‘special measures.’
“It does need to be abolished. It needs to be replaced with an inspectorate that is supportive, fair and lends itself to a collaborative [approach] in which responsibility for education and learning is a shared one.”
Members called on the NEU executive to lobby political parties in the run-up the next general election to endorse the union’s campaign to replace Ofsted and develop a “viable alternative to school accountability.”
The debate at the Bournemouth International Centre came after the inspectorate faced intensive criticism over the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life following an inspection report that downgraded her school from the highest rating to the lowest.
A coroner ruled that the inspection had “likely contributed” to her death last year.
Moving the motion, Rochdale delegate David Barter said: “Schools working together with local democratic oversight will create something much more meaningful, much stronger — we should be proud to say ‘abolish Ofsted’.”
Ian Walters, of the City of Derby, argued that the inspectorate should be axed due to the “culture of fear this insidious regime has created.”
Saying that it had been used to force the academisation of schools run by local authorities, he added: “We all know that Ofsted is part of a political game played by the governing party of the day.
“I’ve witnessed judgements clearly being made before the inspection team entered the building.”
Delegates noted that Ofsted has been cited in coroners’ reports on the deaths of 10 teachers in the past 25 years, with the one in Ms Perry’s inquest issuing a section 28 notice of risk of further deaths.
DELEGATES at the National Education Union (NEU) annual conference gave their backing today to strikes over excessive workload pressures caused by Ofsted inspections.
Delegates unanimously endorsed a motion calling on Britain’s largest education union to support members taking strike action “where ‘mocksteds,’ deep dives and excessive workload have arisen through Ofsted pressures.”
They also passed a motion calling for Ofsted to be abolished and replaced by a locally overseen system based on self-evaluation, support and collaboration between schools.
Speaking to the media, NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “Only 3 per cent of our teacher members trust Ofsted to be a sound and reliable arbiter of standards.
“The fact of the matter is it has lost the complete trust of the profession and I would say is well beyond ‘requires improvement’ — it is in ‘special measures.’
“It does need to be abolished. It needs to be replaced with an inspectorate that is supportive, fair and lends itself to a collaborative [approach] in which responsibility for education and learning is a shared one.”
Members called on the NEU executive to lobby political parties in the run-up the next general election to endorse the union’s campaign to replace Ofsted and develop a “viable alternative to school accountability.”
The debate at the Bournemouth International Centre came after the inspectorate faced intensive criticism over the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life following an inspection report that downgraded her school from the highest rating to the lowest.
A coroner ruled that the inspection had “likely contributed” to her death last year.
Moving the motion, Rochdale delegate David Barter said: “Schools working together with local democratic oversight will create something much more meaningful, much stronger — we should be proud to say ‘abolish Ofsted’.”
Ian Walters, of the City of Derby, argued that the inspectorate should be axed due to the “culture of fear this insidious regime has created.”
Saying that it had been used to force the academisation of schools run by local authorities, he added: “We all know that Ofsted is part of a political game played by the governing party of the day.
“I’ve witnessed judgements clearly being made before the inspection team entered the building.”
Delegates noted that Ofsted has been cited in coroners’ reports on the deaths of 10 teachers in the past 25 years, with the one in Ms Perry’s inquest issuing a section 28 notice of risk of further deaths.
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary elect of the National Education Union (NEU)
(James Manning/PA)
By Eleanor Busby,
PA Education Correspondent
School strikes over teachers’ pay and funding are not off the table and could be staged as early as September, the leader of a teaching union has warned.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), the largest education union in the UK, said there is “more and more frustration” developing amongst the teaching profession.
Teachers at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth will vote on Thursday on whether the union should “build capacity” to deliver national industrial action over pay and funding.
It comes after an overwhelming majority of NEU teacher members in England and Wales who took part in the preliminary ballot said they would strike to secure a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise and improved funding.
Speaking to the media at the union’s annual conference, Mr Kebede suggested strike action in the autumn term was a possibility and he did not rule out the union launching a formal ballot on walkouts.
The priority is that we win on the issue of pay and funding. The campaign will remain and industrial action will remain a tactic that could be deployed to win on the issueDaniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU
When asked when strike action could take place, he said: “My view is if there is a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September.”
The NEU leader called on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to be ready to open up “serious talks” to avoid a “collision course” with the union.
Mr Kebede said: “The preliminary ballot result is exceptionally significant.
“We’ve had nearly 150,000 teachers vote for strike action.
“She has to take that seriously.
“She has to start engaging in a meaningful way.”
He added that the last meeting he had with the Education Secretary was “absolutely abysmal” with “no agenda” and he said it was “wishy-washy”.
The union consulted 300,000 of its teacher members in state schools and sixth forms across England and Wales as part of its preliminary ballot.
In England, where 50.3% of members turned out to vote, 90.3% of those who took part in the survey said they would vote yes to strike action for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise and improved funding.
In Wales, where 54.1% of teacher members turned out to vote, 87.2% said they would vote yes to strike action over pay and funding.
An emergency motion, due to be debated at the conference on Thursday morning, calls on the union’s executive to “review, and learn from, the indicative ballot to build capacity to deliver local and national industrial action”.
It suggests members are “prepared to act industrially” if Rishi Sunak or Sir Keir Starmer “fail to deliver” on teachers’ pay and school funding.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), the largest education union in the UK, said there is “more and more frustration” developing amongst the teaching profession.
Teachers at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth will vote on Thursday on whether the union should “build capacity” to deliver national industrial action over pay and funding.
It comes after an overwhelming majority of NEU teacher members in England and Wales who took part in the preliminary ballot said they would strike to secure a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise and improved funding.
Speaking to the media at the union’s annual conference, Mr Kebede suggested strike action in the autumn term was a possibility and he did not rule out the union launching a formal ballot on walkouts.
The priority is that we win on the issue of pay and funding. The campaign will remain and industrial action will remain a tactic that could be deployed to win on the issueDaniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU
When asked when strike action could take place, he said: “My view is if there is a decision to go for a formal ballot, we should conduct that over a fairly significant period of time, looking to take action in September.”
The NEU leader called on Education Secretary Gillian Keegan to be ready to open up “serious talks” to avoid a “collision course” with the union.
Mr Kebede said: “The preliminary ballot result is exceptionally significant.
“We’ve had nearly 150,000 teachers vote for strike action.
“She has to take that seriously.
“She has to start engaging in a meaningful way.”
He added that the last meeting he had with the Education Secretary was “absolutely abysmal” with “no agenda” and he said it was “wishy-washy”.
The union consulted 300,000 of its teacher members in state schools and sixth forms across England and Wales as part of its preliminary ballot.
In England, where 50.3% of members turned out to vote, 90.3% of those who took part in the survey said they would vote yes to strike action for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise and improved funding.
In Wales, where 54.1% of teacher members turned out to vote, 87.2% said they would vote yes to strike action over pay and funding.
An emergency motion, due to be debated at the conference on Thursday morning, calls on the union’s executive to “review, and learn from, the indicative ballot to build capacity to deliver local and national industrial action”.
It suggests members are “prepared to act industrially” if Rishi Sunak or Sir Keir Starmer “fail to deliver” on teachers’ pay and school funding.
90.3%The percentage of teacher members in England who took part in an indicative survey who said they would vote yes to strike action for a fully funded, above-inflation pay rise and improved funding
Mr Kebede said conference delegates could decide to bring forward an amendment to the motion calling for a formal ballot to be held on strike action.
Speaking ahead of the debate, he said: “I think that we have to absolutely consider the amount of work it would take to get through this government’s antidemocratic strike thresholds in the context of a formal ballot.
“I don’t think, however, the mood is declining.
“I think if anything there is becoming more and more frustration developing amongst the profession as they’re essentially realising that this Government is burning down the house as they leave government.”
Last year, members of the NEU staged eight days of strike action in state schools in England in a pay dispute, but members accepted a 6.5% pay rise for teachers in England and voted to end strikes in July.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Kebede said: “The priority is that we win on the issue of pay and funding.
“The campaign will remain and industrial action will remain a tactic that could be deployed to win on the issue.”
He added: “Any decision by this union to take strike action will not be a decision taken lightly.
“It’s certainly not gesture politics.
“Education is in a polycrisis at the moment, whether it is recruitment and retention, school estate, crisis in funding, early years, Send (special educational needs and disabilities).”
His comments came after delegates at the annual conference of another teaching union, the NASUWT, passed a motion on Saturday in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, which called for political campaigning to “take priority over industrial action” ahead of the general election.
Overall, 78% of NASUWT teacher members in England who took part in the union’s consultative ballot voted against holding a formal ballot for industrial action over pay and working conditions.
Last month, the Department for Education (DfE) said in evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) that teachers’ pay awards should “return to a more sustainable level” after “two unprecedented years”.
In July last year, the Government agreed to implement the STRB’s recommendation of a 6.5% increase for teachers in England, and co-ordinated strike action by four education unions was called off.
A DfE spokesperson said: “The independent STRB is currently considering evidence for this year’s pay award, unions should engage with this process instead of striking before they even know what the pay recommendations are.”
She said: “Further strike action would cause more disruption to pupils who have already lost over 25 million school days due to last year’s industrial action.
“Overall school funding is rising to over £60 billion in 2024/25, its highest ever level in real terms per pupil and teachers have already benefited from two historic pay awards totalling over 12% in just two years.”
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