Is there a retired teacher in your shed ?

According to the Daily Mail, teachers pensions cost "every British family £13,500". It was in the Mail, so it must be true, surely ?

Hang on one moment. The average teacher's pension is £10,000. That means that there must be more retired teachers than working families. Millions of them. Have you seen them ? Perhaps you could all check in the shed, under the stairs, behind the settee etc. to see if you've got a retired teacher there ?


How on earth do they come up with these figures ? One common trick is to look at the value of all current and future teachers pensions, and then divide the figure by the number of families etc, to get an eye-watering figure. What they don't take into account is...


We PAY for our pensions. They are not a handout from the taxpayer, they are a financial product we BUY from the government.


20.5% of our monthly salary is paid, by us and our school's contribution, into the scheme. This goes directly to the treasury, who in turn commit to pay out our pensions benefits when we retire. The scheme is overdue for a revaluation, and the unions are already committed as part of the 2006 deal, that if the revaluation of the scheme shows that increases in contributions are genuinely needed, teachers would pay them.

Why won't the Government do a revaluation of the scheme and tell us how much of our money is in it ? Because they know that it will prove the scheme is sustainable. Will the Daily Mail tell you that ? Of course they won't.

More arguments in favour of our Pensions

BBC Radio Sussex clearly have it in for me- last time I was on it was debating Sex Education with the Christian Institute- this time its Teachers Pensions with the "Taxpayers" Alliance.

Fortunately, I was armed with the greatest weapon we have-the truth. You can listen here I'm on at 1hr 14mins in.

Great response from Christine Blower to David Cameron's speech on pensions- reprinted below. As I keep pointing out to people the Government refuse to do a revaluation of the money in our scheme, because they know it would prove it is sustainable.

Commenting on David Cameron’s speech to the Local Government Association conference, Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said;

“David Cameron insists on pressing ahead with the baseless argument that public sector pensions must be substantially cut.

“The Teachers’ Pension Scheme has already been reformed in 2007. The National Audit Office recognises that those changes, including increased contributions, a normal pension age of 65 and a cap on employer contributions, mean that costs are falling. The NUT believes that our scheme is viable and sustainable. However, our 2007 agreement also provided for regular re-valuations of the scheme and for teachers to pay more if costs are shown to have risen.

“This Government has refused to undertake this re-valuation and wants to impose further changes without any evidence they are needed. Furthermore, David Cameron said today ‘what you have already earned you will keep’. However, the RPI to CPI switch already imposed is an attack on accrued rights that will cost existing and future retirees thousands of pounds. It breaks coalition manifesto promises.

“Teachers are not burying their heads in the sand. We have already agreed to possible further changes, at a cost to ourselves, but we cannot negotiate an agreement when the Government is failing to bring forward any evidence to support its case.

“David Cameron is absolutely right to point out the gap between public and private sector pensions. The NUT also agrees that there is a problem. Two thirds of private sector workers don’t have access to any employer-sponsored pension scheme and face poverty in retirement. The NUT wants to see fair pensions for all workers. We want the Government to improve the basic pension and require all employers to contribute to decent occupational schemes. "

“The Prime Minister seems to think equality means the whole country being reduced to poverty in old age. This is a betrayal of those public sector workers who are saving for their retirement and those private sector workers who are denied the chance to do so.

“The Government needs to be aware that more and more people are becoming extremely angry about this attack on pensions and will take action to defend them. The ‘we are all in this together’ rhetoric is sounding increasingly hollow with each passing day”.

How can non NUT/ATL Colleagues support ?

Many colleagues have asked me how their colleagues who are not in the Union can express their support for the action.

The anti-trade union laws in the UK mean that it is unlawful for colleagues who are members of unions that are not part of the official dispute to refuse to cross picket lines. However, these members should make clear to their Head Teacher that they will only undertake the work they would usually do on 30th June, and not pick up work laid down by NUT/ATL colleagues.

All of the TUC unions (and even the small non-strike Voice union) have issued guidance to their members in this regard.

You should encourage colleagues to contact their MP and tell him or her that, while they are not currently taking part in the industrial action, they very much share our dismay at the attacks on teachers and public sector pensions. There is suggested text for a letter here.

Anti-Academy News

Capita accused of making excess profits from Academy conversions

Headteachers overseeing the conversion of their schools to academy status had complained they are being slapped with huge bills, often as much as £20,000, just to change the licence on their school's back-office computer software.
The systems are critical to the running of a school, covering almost every part of its administration, from registration and attainment to controlling dinner money and admissions. Capita's own version, called Sims, is used by some 20,000 schools in England and controls about 80 per cent of the market. One primary, St Patrick's Academy in Solihull, was charged consultancy"costs of around £1,150 a day to help it convert, on top of re-licensing costs of about £15,000.

The back-office system, the big bucks - and the bills. Private firm sniffs a profit in coalition schools policy

Is Gove threatening your Primary school?

Following Michael Gove’s announcement that 200 ‘failing’ primary schools are to be converted into Academies, with 500 more to follow, a number of schools have contacted us which have been told they are on Gove’s hit list.
It is clear that many Headteachers, Governors and staff are very angry about Gove’s comments. They are generally working in poor areas, often with high levels of SEN or children with English as a second language.
Many are clear that they will need to fight this proposal. If you would like a representative of the Anti Academies Alliance to visit your school to meet the Head / Governors / Staff / Parents to discuss campaigning against any plan to convert your school into an Academy please contact us on office@antiacademies.org.uk or 07528 201 697

Responses to the SEN Green Paper

The SEN Green Paper is important to the Anti Academies arguments because it is built on the assumption that in the future there will be no need for the LA central services because all of the expertise and support for mainstream and special schools will be provided by Academies and Special Academies, not by the LAs. There is scarcely a mention of the LA as service provider.

More Information ?

Anti Academies Briefing is now in the 3rd print run of the Briefing on ‘Why would a school want to become an Academy?’ If you want copied for use before the end of term please let the AAA know urgently.

Free to parent groups and local campaigns
£10 per hundred to union branches

For more information, visit the Anti-Academies Alliance by clicking here

What "Career Average" really means !

The government is planning changes to the way in which teachers’ pensions are calculated which will worsen the pension of every single teacher.

In addition to increasing contributions and raising the retirement age, the government now wants to decrease the amount of pension you get for every year worked.

The government proposals in a leaked Treasury paper, covered in The Guardian, would be devastating. The leaked paper confirms the government's intention to abandon the current teachers' pension scheme. It wants to introduce a new "career average pay" scheme, giving all teachers a massively smaller pension.

The government is suggesting that you would only get 1/100 of career average pay for every year in teaching.

This compares to the current scheme, which gives you 1/60 of final pay, or 1/80 of final pay plus a lump sum payment, depending on when you joined the scheme. Younger teachers would have to work until 68 for a pension worth less than half of their career average pay.

Older teachers would earn far less pension between now and retirement.

The Treasury proposals would mean you losing even more than the figures shown in the NUT pensions loss calculator. They show just how badly the government's plans will affect your future.

The government says these figures may not be the final position. However, the talks between unions and government have been going on for three months - and the proposals the government has now brought to the table are worse than anything we imagined. The government wants discussions to finish before the end of June.

All of this shows that it's more important than ever that we get an overwhelming turnout in our pensions strike action. This will support and strengthen the Union in its negotiations with government. Now is the time to act to defend your pension.

Executive Report: June 2011

The full executive met on Thursday 16th June

Nina Franklin opened the meeting by congratulating former Executive Member Tim Lucas on his award of an MBE for services to the LGBT community in last weekend's announcement.

As members will predict- the main item of discussion for this meeting was the impending pensions strike action. It is clear that the Government is not prepared to discuss any meaningful concessions- they are still determined to make us work longer, pay more and get less. The negotiations were scheduled to end on the 27th June, and we could expect to be paying the significantly increased pension contribution in the next academic year. It is absolutely right that we are taking the action now.

Christine Blower congratulated Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney- not just for his stalwart work leading the pensions campaign and representing the NUT at the negotiatons with Government as part of the TUC delegation, but also appearing at the Science and Technology Select Committee (you can watch this on the Westminster website)

Kevin then reported on the preparations for the Pensions Strike. The Yes vote was overwhelming, and this was consistent across the country.

Letters have been sent out to all employers telling them of the pending action. Any attempts by independent schools or academies to mount legal challenges will be vigorously defended.

An NUT News poster will be in schools by Monday, and with a letter from the General Secretary. There will be a letter to all members at home next week. We are also producing a wide range of materials for schools and local associations to support the campaigns in the build up to, and on the strike day.

Kevin pointed out that there will be a barrage of hostile media coverage, particularly from the tabloid press. It is important that we make sure members have the information to counter these attacks. Details of rallies, demonstrations and other events on the day will be posted on the website.

The executive also discussed a number of other issues- including current government consultations (see separate articles for details,) the Anti-Academies campaign, including a very successful TUC-organised conference, and expressing support for teacher trade unionists in the Arab world who are facing persecution (there is an interesting article about the difficulties faced by supply teachers trying to organise in Egypt- you can read this at the East Sussex Supply Lines blog)

EEPD Committee: Competency and Performance Management

The Government has published proposals for reform of the Performance Management regulations, and guidance for schools' Competency Procedures.

Under the guise of simplification, the Performance Management seek to remove the limit of three hours observation a year for the purposes of Performance Management, and raise the spectre of a huge burden of unlimited observation, drop-ins and excessive monitoring.

The proposals for "non-statutory" guidance on Competency Proceedings, however are chilling.

• Currently, schools are expected to have an informal period of monitoring and support before embarking on formal proceedings. This is to see if problems can be resolved in a supportive manner. This is removed from the new policy.


• The policy refers to "time" to improve performance, but makes no requirement for support or CPD


• Despite the huge rise in mental health issues for teachers, and the fact that these can often be a contributory factor in performance issues, the new guidelines suggest that competency proceedings should not be suspended while a member is off sick. This implies a system where, if a school can push a teacher to breaking point, they can then get on with the process of sacking them from their sick bed, without them being given any opportunity to demonstrate an improvement in their teaching.


• The consultation implies seeking a faster route to dismissal, even though in serious cases this can already be completed in just 4 weeks !


• Schools are threatened with legal action if they write a positive reference for a teacher who is undergoing performance procedures. This is in spite of the paper recognising that many teachers who experience difficulties in one school can thrive in a different environment.


• The paper talks about every teacher having a probationary period of one year in any new school- regardless of whether they are an NQT or an established teacher. This would effectively mean that every new appointment would be treated as a year's fixed term !

There is still time to read this consultation, and tell the Government what you think ! Please click on the link !

Honour for former Executive Member

I am pleased to report that Tim Lucas, my predecessor as East Sussex Division Secretary and Executive Member for Kent, East Sussex, Brighton and Hove and Medway, was awarded the MBE yesterday in recognition of "service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people"

Tim served as Chair of the NUT’s LGBT Advisory Committee for many years, and represented the Union at the TUC LGBT Committee. He was treasurer of Schools OUT, the national campaigning body for LGBT equality in education, which pioneered the introduction of LGBT History Month, which is now a widely celebrated event in schools and communities around the country, with Government endorsement.

Tim was a pioneer in campaigning for equality for gay and lesbian people in education for more than 25 years, whether teachers- through campaigns for pensions equality and the right to be out at work; for students through the campaign against Section 28 and proper rights and support for LGBT students; and internationally through publicising human rights abuses against our community in countries such as Jamaica.

Tim is thoroughly deserving of this honour, and we in the NUT are all very proud of him.