1. A NATIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE.

Conference welcomes:
a) the Labour Partys 2017 manifesto commitment to create a National Education Service;
b) the Charter for a National Education Service Launched at Labour Conference 2017.
Conference expresses our commitment to being involved in developing the ideas and strategies
needed for a NES, and to working to generate democratic public debate engaging parents and
local communities in a broad and deep consultation.
Conference recognises:
1. the damage done to the comprehensive education system by the implementation of more
than 30 years of neoliberal policies in the education system, that were supported across
the political spectrum, including by previous Labour governments.

2. that transforming this legacy into a modern comprehensive, inclusive, progressive and
democratic system will require a sustained legislative programme and huge financial
commitment that will need massive public support.

3. that there are many forces in education that will be hostile to a Labour Government and
an NES - particularly academy chains, edu-businesses and MATs who have profited
from the current system, and that these groups may be a formidable barrier to
implementing a NES.

4. that there are many complex structures and processes that need to be changed and that
simply returning to previous models may not be the best answer.

Conference believes a National Education Service should address

the aims and scope of education
funding and employment
school and system structures
pedagogy and curriculum
assessment and accountability
diversity and integration

Further, Conference believes a National Education Service should:

1. Ensure a fully funded service through taxation and develop a funding formula that
ensures extra resources are available where the need is greatest.
2. Be based on democratic control of public education, at national, local and school level,
and not on the demands of business and special interests.
3. Encouraged collaboration between schools, parents and local communities
4. Establish a model of school improvement and accountability which is based around
professional dialogue, and that is supportive and developmental.
5. Give serving teachers and other education professionals substantial input into curriculum
requirements.
6. Establish examination and monitoring processes that support learning and minimise
standardised testing.
7. Set pay and conditions for all education workers in the service on the basis of free
collective bargaining with recognised trade unions.
 8. Aim to develop the skills and qualifications of all education workers, through a
commitment to genuine lifelong learning.
9. Be linked to political strategies aimed at tackling inequality.

Conference therefore calls upon the Executive and the JEC of the NEU to:

1. Work with other education unions and appropriate expert bodies to develop ideas for a
National Education Service;
2. Consult widely with members, through local associations and other means, on their views
for a National Education Service.
3. Work at all levels of the Labour Party to ensure the take up of this far-reaching vision of a
National Education Service.
4. Publicise this vision to gain wide public support.

2. BUILDING THE NEU AT THE WORKPLACE

Conference notes that the fragmentation of education provision, chiefly through academisation,
means the Union has moved from having to negotiate with 152 employers to one where there
are now over 6,000 employers many of whom operate beyond the boundaries of individual
Local Authorities. Conference also notes that, as a result of successive education policies, more
are more decisions are being made or implemented at individual schools level.
Conference further notes:
i) the vital work carried about by NEU representatives in workplaces across our union,
sometimes in increasingly hostile and intimidating school environments;
ii) that union commissioned research, and internal analysis, shows a clear link between the
presence of an NEU workplace representative and member engagement, including
participation in industrial action;
iii) the success of school representatives in using our ASOS guidelines in bringing about
change in their workplace;
iv) the success of the NUT Foundation and Advanced training course for NUT
Representatives;
v) the significant investment that the Union has made in supporting an Organising Strategy
which has focussed of developing workplace presence and has supported local
association secretaries to recruit more reps in the workplace
vi) that, despite work which has seen a 50% increase in Reps since 2008, too many
workplaces do not have an NEU workplace representative and that the proportion of
representatives who have attended training remains too low;
vii) the vital role local association officers play in recruiting, mentoring, supporting reps,
building rep networks and directly supporting members especially when there is no
trained rep;
Conference believes that:
a) the ongoing and deliberate fragmentation of the education system is intended to
undermine collective union organisation;
 b) successful workplace organising, where members and reps participate in negotiations
on their conditions of employment, is an effective way to challenge fragmentation and
build the union on a participatory basis;
c) the future success of union membership recruitment, wider campaigns and any
associated action ballots all depend on us enhancing our work with workplace reps;
d) it has been established that with the right training and support, workplace reps can
play an important role in taking on some school based casework thereby reducing the
burden of casework on local secretaries;
e) recruiting, supporting and developing a representative in every workplace must be a
key union priority;
f) the advent of the NEU gives us an opportunity to consider how best the union can
develop a strategy for recruiting and mobilising Reps alongside maintaining our
elected lay structures in such a way as to be represent the interests of our members
and to campaign to defend education;
g) the structure of the NEU reflects the reality of the new and challenging industrial
relations environment confronting us and that NEU Districts should play a vital role in
bringing together representatives from as many employers/branches in each District
area to discuss how best to level-up terms and conditions across
employers/branches in the area.
Conference instructs the NUT Executive, and its representatives on the JEC of the NEU to:
i) commit to building an active union presence in as many workplaces as possible:
ii) prioritise the recruitment, mobilisation and organising of workplace representatives;
iii) launch a serious campaign to recruit a rep in every college, secondary and larger primary
and special school and as many reps as possible in smaller schools;
iv) develop a Workplace Representation Strategy that includes as many of the following as
possible:
a) a major recruitment campaign focused on increasing the number of workplace
representatives. This initial campaign to be continued on a long term and sustainable
basis;
b) further developing the national training programme for representatives with the goal of
significantly increasing the proportion of workplace representatives who have accessed
training;
c) support for local Associations and Divisions to provide their own workplace
representative training where appropriate, reflecting local issues and committed to
building rep 2 rep networks across groups of local schools;
d) organisers working with local secretaries in order to develop strategies to recruit,
mobilise and organise workplace representatives;
e) developing regular communications with reps through HQ and/or regional offices;
f) establishing an online forum for workplace representatives, through which they can
communicate and support each other;
g) developing strategies for sharing local good practice across the union, this to include
developing a good practice guide for local associations on recruiting, supporting and
developing workplace representatives.
 h) Identify, develop and promote effective strategies for promoting workplace representation
in environments characterised by aggressive managerialism and hostile attitudes to
workplace union organisation;
i) Regular webinars for workplace Reps, hosted by the joint General Secretaries;
j) establishing a pattern of regional Reps forums and briefings to complement the training
programme;
k) surveying the amount of facility time reps have across the country and develop a briefing
guide containing supporting arguments and strategies for reps to negotiate/obtain facility
time
l) organising a national briefing for workplace representatives with a view to establishing
this on an on-going basis;
m) allocating responsibility for oversight of this strategy to a specific member, or members,
of staff.

3. POLITICAL FUND
Conference notes that, unlike businesses who are free to influence politics with relatively few
constraints, Trade Unions who wish to influence politicians are required by law to have an
optional political fund to pay for this work. Political funds may be affiliated or non-affiliated. The
proposed NEU political fund will allow it to do three things:
a) to persuade people not to vote for parties who promote racist, fascist or similar views;
b) to encourage our members and the public generally to register to vote;
c) to attend meetings at the annual conferences or other meetings of political parties.
Conference notes that other unions, like PCS and RMT, have non-affiliated political funds that
are less restrictive allowing them to, for example:
i) support those who are members of both the union and a political party to get the union's
policies adopted by the political party;
ii) support members or supporters of the union to seek selection as a candidate;
iii) support grassroots political campaigns;
iv) target particular politicians, candidates or parties whom the union believes will act
against the union's interests.
Conference further notes that other unions, like UNISON, have two political funds: a non-
affiliated general fund political fund allowing them to fund the above activities, and an affiliated
political fund. This affiliated fund allows the union to affiliate to the Labour Party, giving them
the right to:
a) send full-voting delegates to Labour Party Conference;
b) be represented on all major committees from the National Executive Committee down
to local Branches;
c) give their members the right to vote in Leadership elections;
d) participate directly in the selection of council and parliamentary candidates.
Conference believes that our members have the right to decide for themselves which political
party - if any - to support in a given election.
Conference further believes, however, that it is in the Union's interest to utilise every available
avenue to influence policy that affects our members. This means not only campaigning against
particular policies once they are adopted by a political party, but also supporting our members
and local branches and divisions to influence policy discussions within political parties.
Conference calls upon the JEC of the NEU to consult with the Union's members, workplace
representatives, divisions and branches, and equality strands as to how best achieve our
political goals. This consultation should leave open the following options:
i) maintaining the existing restrictive non-affiliated political fund;
ii) amending our non-affiliated political fund so that it can fund a wider range of non-
affiliated political campaigning;
iii) create an additional affiliated fund with the Labour Party.
Conference further calls upon the JEC of the NEU to recognise that, whatever the outcome of
this consultation, members shall always have the right decide for themselves how to vote in
elections, and that the legal right to opt-out of a political fund is observed.

4. RACISM AND MIGRATION

Conference notes with concern:
1. The growth of racism internationally, as seen, for example, in the protests in Charlottesville in
the United States, and in the elections in German and France, where openly racist
organisations gained substantial votes
2. The displacement of 140 million people, mainly from the countries least able to cope, as a
result of climate related disasters, and the often racist and hostile reception they have
received when seeking refuge in this and other, wealthier countries
3. The failure of the government to implement the Dubbs amendment, thus leaving vulnerable
child refugees who are entitled to a welcome in this country in a desperate situation that puts
their welfare at risk
4. Our schools, like many other institutions and organisations including the NHS, face the loss
of the EU and other non-British nationals they need to function
5. The continuing uncertainty for EU nationals living in this country about their position post-
Brexit, and the pressure this is creating for individuals and their families, including the
children we teach and staff in our schools
6. The rise of organisations such as the Football Lads Alliance which, while claiming to be
against extremism, is accommodating known racists

Conference further notes:

1. that a review by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2016 said that black and
ethnic minority people in Britain still faced entrenched race inequality in many areas,
including employment, education and health
2. that poverty and austerity are compounding institutional racism, and exacerbating the
discrimination black and ethnic minorities, including the children we teach, suffer. Examples
include:
(a) Evidence of higher unemployment among Black and Ethnic minorities, and of the
greater difficulties that can be experienced when applying for jobs
(b) African-Caribbean students are excluded from school three times as often as their
white peers
 (c) The continuing inequalities in the justice system, including the increasing use of stop of
search despite the lack of evidence for its effectiveness
(d) The deaths, during arrests, of young black men such as Edson Da Costa in Newham
and Rashaun Charles in Hackney

3. That the UN projects that the number of people displaced by extreme weather events
attendant on climate change will double by mid-century, posing a crisis that requires
international solutions
NUT Conference calls upon the NUT and on the JEC of the NEU to:
i Re-double our campaigning on behalf of refugee children, including continuing to support
calls for the implementation of the Dubbs amendment
ii. give all possible support to teachers, support staff and students and their families if they
are threatened with the loss of jobs and residency rights
iii. reiterate its support for Show Racism The Red Card
iv. support activities organised by Stand Up To Racism, Love Music Hate Racism and Hope
Not Hate
v publicise and if necessary undertake further research into the experiences of Black and
ethnic minority students in our schools and communities
vi. support campaigns for a new UN protocol providing legal protection for the human
rights of climate refugees within the framework of the Paris Agreement, to raise this in
Education International and to call upon the TUC campaign for this, working through the
ETUC, ITUC, ILO and other relevant bodies.
NUT Conference calls upon the JEC of the NEU to reaffirm our affiliation to Stand Up To
Racism

5. SEXISM, HARASSMENT AND VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS

Conference notes:
i) The report by the 2016 Women and Equalities Committee on the widespread sexual
harassment and violence in schools and is concerned by the failure of Government to
issue clear guidance for schools as recommended by the Committee in September 2016
ii) The report by the TUC, Still Just a Bit of Banter? on the commonplace and persistent
sexual harassment of women at work including our members
iii) The inclusion of peer on peer abuse in the DfE guidance Keeping Children Safe
iv) The work of groups such as End Violence Against Women, Everyday Sexism and Girl
Guiding in collecting and publicising such evidence
v) The recent media coverage of sexual harassment by BBC and Channel 5
vi) The surveys carried out by our Union on body image and sexual harassment and the
launch of our own campaign on this issue in autumn 2017
viii) The work done by our Union along with other unions and the TUC in lobbying for change
at every opportunity
ix) The successful Breaking the Mould resources created by the Union
x) The increased challenges to parents, teachers and schools in protecting young people
from on-line sexual harassment including sexting and revenge-porn
xi) A narrow test-based curriculum is limiting opportunities for discussion, critical thinking and
preventative education.
Conference believes that:
a) Sexual harassment, violence and abuse is rooted in sexism which is deeply entrenched in
our society of which schools are a microcosm;
b) The responsibility for sexism must be addressed by all of us but that Government has
particular responsibilities in this regard;
c) Ofsted and the DFE have long failed to address this issue adequately;
d) Any and all sexism must be challenged by all staff in all schools as a matter of routine;
e) High-quality, properly-funded Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) taught by trained
professionals should be a statutory requirement for all schools;
f) Initial Teacher Training should include specific anti-sexist training as part of its courses
including Teach First and School Direct and other school-based programmes.
Conference calls on the JEC of the NEU to:
1. Lobby the government to make it statutory for all schools to have a whole-school
approach to challenging and recording sexism and sexual harassment and violence;
2. Continue to campaign for statutory sex and relationships education in all schools, actively
support the #SREnow campaign, and to explore growing links with parents groups to build
its strength;
3. Produce guidance for teachers on how to recognise and challenge sexism, sexual
harassment and violence in schools and on-line;
4. Campaign for all education staff, including those in training, to receive training on sexism,
how to challenge it and how to promote sex equality as part of a schools ethos;
5. Ensure our members are informed of their rights and responsibilities under equality laws;
6. Source, develop and promote appropriate teaching resources via our website, e-bulletins,
The Teacher, conferences, networks, social media and CPD;
7. Develop our work with other unions and organisations that share these objectives.

6. ABORTION RIGHTS
NUT Conference notes:
a) The rights of all women to access safe, legal abortion is an advance for women and is
necessary to achieve a society that values the lives and rights of women.
b) Before the 1967 Act legalised abortion thousands of women died or were seriously injured
due to back street abortions.
c) The trade union movement has a proud record of defending a womans right to choose.
d) A 2013 YouGov opinion poll shows 92 per cent of people support a womans right to
choose.
e) That all young people have the right to receive proper sex and relationships education

Further notes that:

i) The election of Donald Trump in the US has given support to those who seek to restrict or
abolish womens right to choose.
ii) nearly half of abortions carried out world-wide are unsafe, and that in some countries,
particularly in Latin America there is not right to choose an abortion
iii) There are regular attempts to undermine and restrict womens right to abortion, for
example by picketing clinics and harassing women
iv) The 1967 Act can be improved to remove unnecessary delays and barriers for women
needing to access abortion services
v) That abortion is still a criminal act in law, unless certified by two doctors and meeting
certain criteria
vi) that as teachers we have a particular responsibility to ensure that students are educated
about their rights to choose and to be respected.
NUT Conference congratulates Ealing borough council for the action it has taken to ban anti-
abortion protesters from harassing women outside a local clinic.
NUT Conference calls on the JEC of the NEU:
1. To affiliate to the Abortion Rights campaign in the UK including Northern Ireland
2. To support moves to decriminalise abortion
3. To oppose any restrictions on access to abortion services.
4. To call on and facilitate our members to lobby their MPs to support amendments
improving access.
5. To urge the NUT to circulate information and briefings from Abortion Rights to members.
6. To support actions called by the Abortion Rights campaign.

7. THE HOUSING CRISIS

Conference notes:
1. That there is a national housing crisis with house prices now averaging 6.5 times average
annual wages, up from 3.5 times 30 years ago.
2. That in many cities the ratio is far higher than this, and in London house prices are around
13 times the average wage.
3. That many teachers especially young teachers- have therefore been forced into private
rented accommodation, and are unable to afford or even aspire to a family home.
4. That the situation is even more serious for many other workers (including teaching assistants
and other school support staff) and many of the children we teach.
Conference believes:
1. That the Grenfell disaster and the inadequate response have highlighted these problems
and heightened public awareness of the housing crisis.
2. That TUC policy which calls for more council housing, rent controls and greater landlord
regulation deserves our active support; and that the terms of the debate are now shifting in
favour of such policies, as seen at Labours 2017 conference.
3. That in parts of the country the housing crisis is exacerbating an already serious situation
with regard to teacher shortages.
4. That if the government does not take political action to reduce housing costs, this must
inevitably contribute to a drive by our union and others to push for industrial action on pay.
Conference calls on the JEC of the National Education Union to:
1. Encourage divisions to work alongside housing campaigns in their area and to offer the
support and resources of the union.
2. Include explicit reference to housing issues and demands for government action as part of
our pay campaign material.
3. Work alongside and support campaigns such as Generation Rent, Defend Council Housing,
and the Peoples Assembly and to affiliate to the national housing campaign Homes for All.
4. Continue to support the work of the London Teachers Housing campaign and encourage
similar developments in other parts of the country.

8. CRISIS IN YOUNG PEOPLES MENTAL HEALTH

Conference notes the Governments pledge to have a mental health first aider in every
school. However, conference believes that this is akin to putting a sticking plaster on a gaping
wound. Conference recognises that many of the root causes of poor mental health can be
attributed to a high stakes testing, target driven and exam factory education system and until
this is addressed, any interventions will have limited effect.
Conference is concerned that many primary school children are experiencing symptoms of
stress and anxiety because of the pressures they are facing to succeed in their SATS tests.
According to the Childrens Societys Good Childhood Report in 2016, young people aged 10
to 15 years, in the UK, and in particular girls, are less happy than five years ago. Furthermore,
an OECD study in 2015, found that the percentage of 15-year olds in the UK, who felt anxious
about tests, even if they were well prepared, was the second highest amongst the countries
included in the study at 71.9%. Only Singapore with 76.3% was higher.
Conference recognises that the narrowing of the secondary curriculum and the promotion of
EBACC subjects at the expense of other subjects, in particular the arts, is also having a
detrimental effect on young peoples mental health. Activities such as art, sport and music can
have a positive effect on mental health and well-being, but they are increasingly being
squeezed off the curriculum.
Conference is alarmed that waiting times to see a mental health practitioner in CAMHS vary
dramatically in different regions. The Care Quality Commissions review of mental health
provision for young people, which was published in October 2017, found that 41% of specialist
community CAMHS services are rated as requires improvement or inadequate in terms of
whether patients access care and treatment in a timely way. The review also highlights
difficulties with a fragmented service and a lack of properly trained staff, especially those
covering out of hours provision.
Conference further notes that poverty and the mental health of a young persons parent or
carer can also impact on the mental health of a young person. Conference is appalled that
many families are relying on foodbanks and that according to an all-party parliamentary group
on hunger, up to 3 million children suffer from malnourishment in school holidays.
Conference instructs the NUT Executive and the joint Executive of the NEU:
To ensure that the unions workload campaign has a focus on the harmful effects of the
high stakes testing regime on young peoples health
To approach the health unions to consider a joint campaign to lobby the Government for
increased funding in all areas of mental health, but particularly CAMHS
To renew the campaign to end SATS
To campaign nationally and locally for all secondary age students to have the option to
study more than one non-EBACC subject
 To oppose the narrowing of the curriculum in schools and to support members in taking
action, including strike action, to prevent it

9. SCHOOL FUNDING
NUT Conference:
1. Congratulates the NUT on the lead it took, with parents and others, on launching the
campaign against cuts in school funding
2. Congratulates local Associations and Divisions on the activities they have organised, such
as the rallies in Liverpool, Birmingham and Southampton
3. Notes the impact of our funding campaign, and the schoolcuts.org website had on the
outcome of the general election in 2017
4. Reiterates its view that the allocation of education funding should be based on need, and on
the principle that funding should be levelled up
Conference further notes:
1. Claims by the Government and the Education Secretary that every school would benefit from
the new funding formula, and no school would experience cuts
2. 88% of schools are currently set to suffer cuts, and Headteachers and Governors as well as
parents, teachers and support staff have expressed their concerns about the effects this will
have on students education and wellbeing.
3. That reductions in funding will inevitably impact on teachers workload and stress levels, and
further exacerbate prolbems with teacher recruitment and retention
NUT Conference calls upon the NUT and the JEC of the NEU to:
1. Continue to work with Fair Funding For Schools and other organisations opposing cuts in
schools funding
2. To work with parents and other trade unions and interested bodies to organise a national
demonstration against cuts in school funding
3. To encourage members in schools to take action at local level against cuts that are
leading to attacks on teachers pay and conditions and damaging education in the school

10. WORKLOAD
Conference notes that Ofsted have plans to ask senior leaders to discuss the ways in which
they can reduce teacher workload, and to focus on ensuring that senior leaders consider the
workload implications of policies before introducing them. However, Conference believes that
Ofsted are largely responsible for the high levels of workload in the first place with their agenda
of high stakes accountability.
Conference believes that the real issues with workload are systemic and caused by the
requirements of many schools (perhaps in fear of Ofsted) to: submit planning in advance,
triple mark work, take and annotate photographs of students work etc., issues raised
consistently by the NUT over the last few years.
Conference believes that there is a growing body of educational research that questions the
effectiveness of these requirements in helping pupils learn.
Conference believes that the most effective way of helping pupils progress is to allow teachers
the time to use their experience and their training to plan, prepare and mark high quality
lessons and assessments that help their pupils to make progress.
Conference believes that this should be supported by high quality CPD centred on evidence
based pedagogy.
Conference further notes that some teachers report having to provide levels and progress
scores for students after only two or three lessons which are frequently meaningless.
Conference believes that there can be no real progress in reducing teacher workload until the
high level of teacher accountability is dropped.
Conference therefore instructs the Executive to:
1) Carry out an extensive survey of parents to determine what reporting of pupil progress
parents find necessary - in order to address the workload issues caused by data and
report-writing,
2) Distribute and Disseminate Workload charters currently in use and carry out an analysis
into their effectiveness at reducing workload,
3) Produce guidance for the National Education Union on a major workload campaign that
takes into account progress made by both the ATL and NUT sections over the past few
years and makes this a priority for the new Union.
4) To evaluate and distribute the latest research on high intensity but low impact working
practices such as marking

11. SUPPORTING PARENTS AND CHILDREN

Conference notes
1. The increasing pressures being put upon both students and their parents and carers by
the education system
2. That such pressures include:
Huge pressure on parents and their children to achieve externally dictated targets in tests
and public examinations, whatever the impact on mental health and the quality of family life
Homework demands which result in stress and distress at home and reduced quality time
with family, which is educative in itself.
The escalating costs of prescriptive school uniforms and equipment which parents are forced
to buy, increasingly including the purchase of text books
The increased use of punitive detentions and children being sent home for minor
misdemeanours.
The increased use of Saturday detentions, which reduce family time.
Increased time that staff have to spend having acrimonious discussions with parents about
the breaking of petty rules.
The criminalisation of parents who make informed choices about taking children out of school
during term time.
3. That these pressures are putting a strain on the relationship between parents and schools
and teachers.
4. That while ostensibly stressing the importance of parental choice, government policy
reduces the role parents are able to play in schools, for example, by limiting parental
representation on governing bodies, and allowing academies to dispense with governing
bodies, and excluding parents from meaningful consultation, for example, over conversion to
academy status
Conference believes:
(a) That parents and carers want a genuine voice in education, can be demonstrated by the
establishment of new parent bodies and initiatives such as Let Kids be Kids, Rescue our
schools and Parents Defending Education
(b) That the education and development of children should be a partnership between parents
and carers and schools, and that whilst recognising the specific professional role of the
teacher as educator, evidence from a variety of sources shows that children and families
benefit from meaningful parental involvement in the life of their childrens school.
(c) The present model of parental involvement is too dictatorial and top down. Parents are
told what their role is not consulted, which creates a them and us culture instead of a
mutually supportive culture.
(d) That working with parents and carers is crucial to defending education against
privatisation, cuts and the standards agenda
Conference calls on the JEC of the NEU to:
i) Campaign for the retention of representative parent governors
ii) continue to build links nationally and locally with parents organisations, and to work with
them as appropriate
iii) explore with these organisations the possibility of establishing a Charter for Parents
iv) publicise initiatives taken by parents and carers organisations as appropriate, and to
encourage Divisions and Associations to take them up at local level
v) Issue guidance for teachers which supports them in communicating with home, and in
building positive relationships with parents and carers.

12. CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE CURRICULUM

NUT Conference recognizes:
1. that the current government is failing to meet its commitments under section 12 of the Paris
Climate Change Agreement to "enhance climate change education, training, public
awareness, public participation and public access to information.
2. That as an education union we have a particular responsibility under the Agreement to
"facilitate the transition to a sustainable society
NUT Conference calls upon the NUT and on the JEC of the NEU to:
1. support the campaign by the Sustainable Schools Alliance to amend Section 78 of the
Education Act (2002) by inserting the following after subsection (1) (b): (c) instils an ethos
and ability to care for oneself, others and the natural environment, now and in the future.
2. convene discussions with other unions, environmental campaigns and supportive political
parties to develop a curriculum for sustainability that responds both to the direct skills agenda
and the broader ethos and content that will be needed for the transition.
3. disseminate and publicise these discussions through all appropriate union media.

13. RESISTANCE IN LATIN AMERICA

Conference notes the challenges faced in Latin America by students, teachers and unions.
Despite a strong sense of the importance of education and a commitment from many leaders
to prioritise education, there remain significant barriers to achieving education for all in the
region.
Latin America has been used as a testing ground for privatisation, with neo-liberal ideas and
policies implemented with little international evidence to justify such a trend. In Chile, for
example, mass privatisation has led the education system to be the most segregated in the
world.
In Mexico, human rights abuses continue to affect teachers and students alike. Teaching
college students are especially targeted by the government, evidenced by the forced
disappearance of 43 students in 2014. The continued failure of the Mexico Government to act
against those involved in this crime has been compounded by recent attacks on students
involved in campaigning for the disappeared Ayotinzapa 43.
Similarly in Colombia there is an appalling human rights crisis, with trade unionists particularly
targeted. Conference welcomes the release of Huber Ballesteros a member of the National
executive of the Colombian trade union congress (CUT) and Vice-president of the agricultural
workers' union FENSUAGRO, in early 2017, but recognises that there is still significant work to
be done to defend human rights in the country. Conference also welcomes recent progress in
the peace talks, facilitated by Cuba, between the Colombian Government and the FARC
guerrillas.
Further, Trumps sanctions policies aimed at harming the economies of some Latin American
countries, particularly Venezuela and Cuba, have negatively impacted students ability to be
educated. In this country US policies have been cited by the Open University in relation to its
decision to refuse to register Cuban students.
In addition to these difficulties, imperialism plagues the region, impacting the ability to deliver
education for all. Conference expresses solidarity with the teachers and other sector
professionals who are committed to delivering a high quality education, in these difficult
circumstances.
Conference calls on the Executive to:
a. continue to consider Latin America a priority region for solidarity work;
b. continue to support the work of the Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua Solidarity Campaigns,
Justice for Columbia, Justice Mexico Now! and to continue to monitor developments in
Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
c. amplify the message from Latin America that poverty eradication and access to education
need to be complementary and concurrent policy ambitions; and
d. urge local associations to affiliate to the campaigns to which the Union is affiliated
nationally.

14. PRIMARY CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT

Conference notes that:
1. Despite bringing conference policy on Primary Assessment at recent successive NUT
Conferences, we remain in a situation where children are assessed with a frequency and
a heavy-handedness that is uncomfortable for most of our members.
2. Our strategies to date have been based around Working Parties on Primary Assessment;
supporting More than a Score and a programme of industrial action based around
balloting members for a boycott.

3. The Government has plans to re-introduce a baseline test for Reception children in
theory replacing the Year 2 SATS, but in practice as this remains optional, many
schools may do it in addition to the Baseline test as well as the Phonics test in Year 1,
the current SATS and a new multiplication test in Year 4.

Conference believes that:

 i. The Working Parties and More than a Score have been very useful at building
networks and developing alternatives, however we havent yet managed to convince
all our members, let alone widespread parental groups or Government of the failings
of the current system and the need to make a radical change.
ii. by making the issue one of Primary Assessment, we are limiting the number of our
members that feel they can be part of this campaign, when in fact virtually all of our
Primary Teaching members have an issue with the Primary Curriculum.

iii. The Year 6 tests are not increasing standards, but focussing children on a curriculum
that doesnt necessarily prepare them for the skills required in Secondary school.

iv. Formal liaison between Primary and Secondary schools to help in the transition of
pupils, should be established and funded by the Government

Conference further notes that the current Primary Curriculum was introduced by Michael Gove,
largely ignoring the caution of experts and Conference believes that most teachers and most
parents believe the current curriculum is too reliant on knowledge, not always suitable or
inspiring for many of our children and doesnt allow for teachers to meet individual childrens
needs. In fact, Conference believes that children who suffer most from poverty also suffer most
from an impoverished curriculum and that many of these children are likely to suffer from Mental
Health issues as a result of the combination of Curriculum and Assessment.
Conference moves that:
The Executive with guidance from classroom teachers, develops guidance for the JEC, and
ultimately, the Executive of the National Education Union as to how this campaign can continue,
building on the successful work to date, but in particular:
a. Broadening the public campaign to encompass the whole Primary Curriculum, and
supporting More than a Score in doing this.
b. Emphasising strongly the need to connect to members
This campaign should explicitly link assessment at all levels in Primary schools including the
proposed new baseline assessment to the curriculum.

15. STEM IN SCHOOLS

Conference notes:
i. The growing crisis in the recruitment of specialist teachers of Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths (STEM)
ii. The failure of the government to address the gap or to retain such teachers resulting in
an increase in students being taught by non-specialists
iii. That girls still form a minority in studying A Level STEM subjects even though those that
do perform to a very high level
iv. That women and Black and Minority Ethnic people are under-represented in STEM
degrees and careers with significant restrictions in career opportunities and lifetime
earnings
v. That the under-representation of such groups is in part attributable to stereotyping from
peers, family and even teachers at a young age.
Conference further notes:
 a) The excellent work carried out by the Union on challenging inequality and stereotyping, in
particular the Breaking the Mould resources which are widely used and highly regarded
b) The developing use of the website to share resources which promote equality including
sourcing materials produced by classroom teachers.
c) The activity by the Union through its organisers, CPD, alliances and lay networks to
increase the involvement of our diverse membership
Conference believes that this commitment to equality:
I. Must remain at the centre of all our work both in supporting and representing our
members
II. Should be pursued through the further development of resources for use by teachers and
young people

Conference instructs the Executive to:

A. Explore working with other appropriate unions and professional organisations to improve
girls and womens representation in STEM subjects and careers
B. Use these connections to help inform our policy and any resources aimed at schools or
teachers.
C. Call for the restoration of funding for a high quality national careers service
D. Create a new phase of the Breaking the Mould project to address issues around STEM
with materials for use with primary and secondary students
E. To collect resources from professional organisations, unions and classroom teachers to
share on the Union website
F. To explore further strategies to support the recruitment and retention of qualified STEM
teachers from diverse backgrounds.

16. SPEAK UP FOR LIBRARIES

Conference notes that:
i. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library
service yet local library services have suffered huge funding cuts as a result of this
governments austerity policies;
ii. This has resulted in the closure of at least 441 community libraries across the UK in the
last ten years with another 149 under threat;
iii. Since 2010, there has been a 22% drop in the number of FTE staff with a 32% drop in
the employment of professional staff
iv. This has led to a 93% increase in volunteers staffing libraries resulting in an erosion of a
longstanding knowledge and skill base which threatens the quality of the service they
provide
v. OFSTED have emphasised the importance of the school library and the employment of
trained school librarians in contributing to improving literacy skills and developing
independent learning skills
vi. The success of the Unions work on Reading for Pleasure resources and courses for
members
Conference believes that:
a) Libraries provide a vital resource to every community providing access to a wide range of
reading material, services for learning, social spaces, groups and activities and access to
the Internet
b) Funding must be found to ensure proper funding to develop these statutory services
 c) School librarians play a vital role in helping young people navigate the information world,
improving their information literacy skills, and as a result, their life chances
d) Every school should have a library and a dedicated, trained librarian to staff it
Conference instructs the Executive to:
I. Work with the Speak Up for Libraries and Chartered Institute of Librarians and
Information Professionals (CILIP) and other unions to involve our members and our wider
communities to take up actions in support of the campaign for properly funded libraries
II. Publicise specific campaign actions to our members via emails, our publications and
social media
III. Encourage local associations and divisions to work with their local libraries on community
events and actions as part of the wider Stand Up for Education campaign
IV. Support the demand for every school to have a well-resourced library run by professional
library staff.

17. FAIR PAY FOR TEACHERS

Conference notes that:
i) successive years of below-inflation pay deals has seen teachers' pay fall in real terms by
20% since 2010;
ii) the government has missed their teacher recruitment the fourth year running, falling short
by 20,000 last year;
iii) teachers continue to leave the profession in record numbers - more than 50,000 left last
year with only 10,000 of these retiring;
iv) the teacher vacancy rate has increased by 165% since 2010;
iv) the relative decline in teachers pay is a major factor in the recruitment and retention
problems facing schools something the STRB has referenced in its last two reports;
v) the STRB said in July 2017, Our analysis of the evidence for the current pay round shows
that the trends in recruitment and retention evident last year have continued teacher
retention rates continued to fall, particularly for those in the early stages of their career, and
targets for ITT recruitment continue to be missed . We are deeply concerned about the
cumulative effect of these trends on teacher supply. We consider that this presents a
substantial risk to the functioning of an effective education system.
vi) the governments failure to provide extra funding for the 2017 pay increase has further
increased the pressure on school budgets;
Conference believes that the time is right for the Union to launch a vigorous campaign on
teachers pay with the following aims:
a. An end to the pay freeze and a commitment to restore the real value of all teachers
salaries to what it was in 2010 over the next 3 years;
b. The restoration of mandatory pay scales and responsibility payments for all teachers
whose employment is publicly funded, including those in academies, free schools and
sixth form colleges;
c. The restoration of national pay bargaining;
d. An end to the current system of so-called performance related pay that has been so
arbitrary and so destructive of teacher morale.
Conference therefore instructs the NUT Executive and the Joint Executive of the NEU to:
i) work with other teacher unions with a view submitting a joint pay claim for all school staff
along the same lines as health unions;
ii) ensure that a key demand in such a pay claim is that it is fully funded by the government;
iii) prepare briefing materials on the problems of teacher recruitment and retention to underpin
why this claim is necessary to redress the decline in pay and associated recruitment and
retention problems;
iv) develop campaign materials, that link our pay claim to the need for increased school
funding, encouraging members to support the campaign;
v) plan regional rallies and other events, in conjunction with local associations, working with
other unions campaigning on pay and funding;
vi) consider using internal polling of members to establish the level of support for a pay
campaign, including willingness to vote for strike action on this issue;
vii) work with local associations and regional offices to monitor LA and MAT pay policies to
ensure that joint union guidance on the 2017 increase is being implemented and support
action where this is not happening;
viii) continue to work with other unions through the TUC campaign Britain Needs A Pay Rise
and to support any unions taking strike action as part of this;
ix) support the claim by unions representing school support staff and include the need for
school support staff to have a pay increase in our publicity and materials.
x) be prepared to ballot members for strike action in pursuit of our pay demand, alongside
other unions if possible, if internal polling suggests that there would be sufficient support to
pursue industrial action as part of the campaign.
18. SECONDARY ASSESSMENT / CURRICULUM
Conference notes:
i) that in a statement to parliament on 11th June 2013, Michael Gove highlighted the fact that
the new GCSE has been designed to be more demanding, more fulfilling, more stretching so
that we can give our young people the broad, deep and balanced education which will equip
them to win in the global race
ii) that last year 35% was required for a pass (i.e. a grade C) in Edexcel Maths this year the
standard GCSE pass mark (i.e. a level 4) was 17%. OCRs relative percentages were 30.5%
and 17%, AQAs were 35.4% to 19.2%. Therefore, students can get the majority of an exam
paper wrong, yet still achieve a pass
iii) that according to Young Minds, 82% of teachers said that the focus on exams has become
disproportionate to the overall wellbeing of their students
v) that the abolition of National Curriculum levels at KS3 in combination with the GCSE reforms
has led to many school operating inappropriate assessment systems at KS3 that link student
performance to GCSE grades in a reductive manner which further narrows the KS3
curriculum
vi) that the introduction of Progress 8 as the threshold measure of school performance has
made it more difficult for schools to estimate their performance each year, and has led to
the production in many schools of unrealistic target grades based on bad data.
iv) that Nick Gibb, School Standards Minister, has given speeches both at ResearchEd annual
conference and at the launch of the pamphlet A Question of Knowledge, produced in
conjunction with the Parents and Teachers for Excellence campaign group, in which he
promotes the notion of a knowledge rich curriculum.
vii) that the NUT's "Year of the Curriculum" materials proved useful in a minority of schools to
spark genuine pedagogical discussion on a progressive replacement for NC levels
Conference believes that:
a) A broad and balanced curriculum is based on both skills and knowledge, as teachers and
trained professionals know. The current focus by government ministers on a knowledge rich
curriculum is an attempt to promote a particular teaching style that reduces education to a
narrow set of criteria and checklists.
b) many teachers are being denied pay progression due to not meeting unrealistic student
targets and in addition are put under undue pressure to achieve these targets which is
having a negative effect on their mental health.
c) the relatively low mark needed for a standard GCSE pass highlights the fact that the new
GCSE assessments are unfit for purpose as they are set at the wrong level, which fails to
assess students effectively, and is likely to lead to low morale and disillusionment
d) the setting of unrealistic target grades is impacting negatively on students mental health
and is contributing to the mental health crisis that our country is currently facing.
Conference instructs the NUT Executive and the JEC of the NEU to:
i) commit to a curriculum review and explore an alternative curriculum model. This to involve
building on work already done with the "Year of the Curriculum" materials, including both
sections of the NEU and talking to other allies including ASCL and NAHT to endorse an
agreed model or models of KS3 assessment.
ii) commission a survey of secondary school teachers to assess the impact of the GCSE
reforms and unrealistic targets not only on student wellbeing and mental health but also
teacher workload and stress
iii) produce NEU guidance on performance management and rejecting targets based on
unrealistic numerical targets