Education

Austerity by stealth: A budget that punishes the poor

Hunt’s budget attack on working people assessed by Dominic Alexander
Birkbeck: reckless job cuts put property before people

Counterfire spoke to a UCU member at Birkbeck, University of London about the redundancies proposed by management.
Further Education fights back

As the union fightback rises nationally, ten days of strike action in Further Education marks a significant return to industrial action in the sector, argues Tom Whittaker.
It's all-out class war - Counterfire Freesheet September 2022

Justice for Chris Kaba, the crisis in our schools, why we need to fight for peace in Ukraine, myths of monarchy, the intensification of climate breakdown, Felixstowe and Liverpool dock strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Apartheid under pressure – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on Palestine, economics and education
North West FE colleges 'organised, prepared and ready' to strike against poor pay

Jayne Gillies, UCU rep at Bury College, reports on the upcoming strike action at FE colleges in the North West after UCU members roundly rejected insulting pay offers
NEU Conference escalates the fight against the government

Alex Snowdon reports on the debates and decisions at the National Education Union's conference, and the mood to take the fight to the Tories
'Full support' for striking teachers in Walthamstow

Carole Vincent reports from the NEU picket line at Walthamstow Primary Academy where teachers are taking action over pay, workloads and bullying
Child Q: 'we stand united against your oppression'

After the appalling police assault on Child Q, protesters in Hackney confront the racism and sexism of the state, reports Elly Badcock
Hands off our pensions! GDST Teachers strike against fire and rehire

On Thursday morning, 1,500 teachers, members of the National Education Union, began the first of six days of strike action to defend their pensions. Counterfire members report from the picket lines
Paulo Freire, a Philosophical Biography - book review

Paulo Freire, a Philosophical Biography has some important insights for teachers but also for activists organising social movements, finds Orlando Hill
New year, same problems - CounterBlast

The Tories' mishandling of the pandemic has once again left us starting the year with the NHS and schools in crisis, writes Terina Hine
Greece: 100,000 teachers take on the government in national strike

In opposition to a new law that is widely seen as a step towards marketising education, teachers defiantly walked out across Greece, reports Kevin Ovenden
Stop the Tory attacks on education - Staffroom Voice, Counterfire Schools Bulletin October 2021

This month's Counterfire Schools Bulletin on Tory cuts, climate change and refugees
Time to teach the Tories a lesson: why I'll be marching in Manchester

David McAllister explains why teachers will be joining the People's Assembly demonstration outside the Tory Party conference on 3 October
A question of class: ‘Grade inflation’ and statistical snobbery

The education system is built to preserve class society, that’s why the right are crying foul when working class kids do better than planned, argues John Westmoreland
Results day: the inequality behind the grades – CounterBlast

A-level results compound and reflect the deep inequalities that disadvantage working class children, argues Terina Hine
Latin in schools and the Bellum cultura

Teaching Latin and Classics in state schools will do little to address the needs of young people, writes Lucy Nichols
Trade unions belong at the forefront of Palestine solidarity – Interview with Louise Regan

After the recent revival of mass resistance for Palestine, David McAllister interviews Louise Regan of the NEU and Palestine Solidarity Campaign about the crucial role of trade unions
Resisting ‘rank and yank’: UCU fights job cuts at Liverpool University

Ahead of a rally on Monday, UCU’s battle to save jobs at Liverpool University is a critical fight for the whole sector
The Tories are not fit to govern! – People’s Assembly National Demonstration report

A vibrant coalition of trade unions and social movements took to the streets of London on Saturday for the People’s Assembly National Demonstration, reports Cici Washburn
Why students are joining the People's Assembly demonstration

Students will be marching this Saturday as part of a united opposition against this inept and untrustworthy Tory government, writes Chris Adair
Class not culture: why white working class kids are really being let down

The government is trying to stoke a culture war with its latest report looking everywhere but its own anti-working-class policies for disparities in education, writes Terina Hine
Teacher assessed grades: calm before the storm

The handling and organisation of this year's Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) has further displayed the contempt and ineptitude of Gavin Williamson, argues Reece Goscinski
Tory education catch-up plan explodes on launchpad - CounterBlast

Gavin Williamson is maintaining his record as the worst Education Secretary in living memory, writes Sean Ledwith
Teaching the right lessons: Victory for Pimlico Academy students and staff

Following protests and the threat of strike action, Pimlico Academy’s out of touch headteacher has announced his resignation, reports Jamal Elaheebocus
No leeway for Leaways: solidarity with striking teachers

NEU members at Leaways School in Hackney have been on strike for 18 days over trade union victimisation and the treatment of children and they aren't backing down
Defend the Pimlico Academy students threatened with expulsion

Students who organised a protest against their schools racist policies have outrageously been threatened with expulsion, we cannot let this happen, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Every issue in school is a union issue - Staffroom Voice Bulletin April 2021

This month's Counterfire Schools Bulletin on union organisation in schools, attacks on Early Years, fair pay for frontline workers and defending the right to protest
NEU Conference: there's power in a union

NEU conference took stock of a challenging and momentous year, but also addressed major current issues and plotted a way ahead, reports Tony Dowling
Our children need less neoliberal education, not more - CounterBlast

Williamson’s Covid catch-up plan will not address the real fault lines in our schooling system, says Sean Ledwith
Learning little: Johnson and the great schools gamble

David McAllister responds to Boris Johnson's "big bang" school reopening plans for 8 March
Schools: 8 March reopening is unsafe

Fully re-opening schools on March 8 is dangerous and risks another increase in infections and deaths, argues David McAllister
No wider reopening until it's safe - Staffroom Voice, Counterfire Schools Bulletin February 2021

The first edition of the Counterfire Schools Bulletin, Staffroom Voice, on why it's too early to reopen schools and how school staff and parents are fighting back
Striking for Goldsmiths: can assessment boycotts deliver the goods for HE workers?

The government and universities are using Covid as cover to attack workers and students, but the sector is fighting back, writes Milly Williamson involved in the dispute at Goldsmiths University
Tories don’t actually care about your child’s mental health - CounterBlast

The government is using fake concern about lockdown learning as a smokescreen to justify another risky reopening of schools, argues Sean Ledwith
Covid is a threat to children too, but the government doesn’t care

By pushing school reopening again, the government is deliberately ignoring the detrimental effect the virus is having on an alarming number of children, argues Caitlin Southern
Deja vu: Tories push to reopen schools before it's safe...again - CounterBlast

Just three weeks after the government's u-turn on schools, it is again pushing to do the same thing all over again, writes Terina Hine
Tories can’t be trusted to save lives and protect the NHS - weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon on Johnson's ceaseless governmental crisis and the fight for Zero Covid
This government has nothing to offer but U-turns

After yet another u-turn on schools, it's clear that organisation and popular pressure are the only antidotes to the Tories’ reckless handling of the pandemic, argues Kara Bryan
The government’s war on the left and anti-racism

The Tory ban on ‘anti-capitalist teaching materials’ in schools is a clear attempt to stifle dissent, writes Holly Barrow
A lesson from the teachers: how to take on the government and win

The National Education Union has shown what a fighting union can achieve, says Tony Dowling
How school workers successfully organised against unsafe conditions

Simon Duckett, a school worker and NEU rep in South West England describes how collective action pushed back against the government
Our teachers were right, the government was wrong

The government’s delay on schools has shown how little they care about pupils and teachers and we’re sick and tired of it, writes Isabella, a secondary school student
Schools: the frontline in stopping the Tories and saving lives – weekly briefing

Alex Snowdon assesses the first government crisis of 2021
Solidarity with education staff: no return until it is safe!

The stand-off between education unions and the government is a battle for us all, argues David Hamet.
Keep schools closed: the rush to return is deadly

With record case numbers and hospitalisations, and increasing deaths, returning to school next week would be catastrophic, writes a secondary school teacher
The Tories don’t care about students: Erasmus is just another example

Students will need to continue the fight for education as a right, argues Lucy Nichols
No ifs, no buts: Tier 4 students demand safe schools

Despite soaring infection rates, students in Tier 4 areas are expected to return to classrooms in January and are demanding safety first
Schools’ Covid Christmas Nightmare - CounterBlast

By refusing to seriously address infection rates in schools. the Tories have guaranteed a difficult and dangerous Christmas for many, argues Terina Hine
Students must stand firm: Palestine solidarity is a duty not a crime – CounterBlast

The weaponisation of antisemitism could soon hit the campuses, warns Lucy Nichols
Setting students up to fail: why exams should be cancelled

GCSE and A-level exams going ahead in 2021 shows that the government has learnt nothing from the chaos they caused this year, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
A teacher speaks out: they want to make us pay for the crisis - video

There is no justification for the public sector pay freeze, it's a slap in the face for teachers and key workers that have kept society running, says David McAllister
Don’t give up! Educate, organise and fight

As part of our series on the future of the left in and out of Labour, Laura Smith outlines a path forward
Schools crisis sharpens as Tories gamble with children's future

Two and a half months into the first term of the school year and there is chaos, confusion and Covid in every aspect of education, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Parents know schools are no longer safe: close them now!

By continuing to keep schools open, the government is forcing teachers, children and parents into an unforgivable level of danger, argues Kara Bryan
#ParentStrike: Parents take action against unsafe schools

Parents around the country took boycott action on Nov 5th, demanding protection for teachers, children and families, reports BRTUS: Parents United
Teachers care about the safety of our schools; the government doesn’t

The failures of this government to control the pandemic have pushed schools and communities into an extremely difficult and dangerous situation, writes Sarah Kilpatrick
Double trouble: COVID chaos and the neoliberal university

The financial priorities of the neoliberal university have fuelled the COVID crisis and the antidote is solidarity between lecturers and students, argues Dragan Plavšić
Scrap exams to save education

It’s not just the potential of a repeated exams fiasco next year but the role of exams in education altogether that needs to be challenged, argues John Westmoreland
Students and lecturers must unite and fight for people over profit

With the mounting crisis in universities over rising Covid cases, students and lecturers must agitate together for safe learning, argues Lucy Nichols
Put students ahead of profit: the lesson of the Covid-19 outbreak at Scottish universities

Blaming students is a cynical move to distract from the deeper causes of the recent outbreaks, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
When the virus hits a primary school - a teacher's account

As the number of schools with coronavirus cases continues to rise, a primary school teacher at a London school tells us what it's like on the frontline
Johnson’s disastrous policies will bring return to hundreds of daily deaths - CounterBlast

A rushed ‘return to normal’ is driving up the infection rates and, increasingly, the death rate, writes Alex Snowdon
The government is failing to keep schools safe from Covid

With rising infection rates, we need to confront Tory failures and campaign hard for safe and sustainable schools, argues David McAllister
Safety first - Counterfire statement on schools and coronavirus

As coronavirus infection rates soar, and hundreds of schools are hit by cases, Counterfire demands government action.
Where next for the left? - Holly Rigby

As part of a discussion on the next steps for the left after the rightward shift of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer, looks at Tory failures during the pandemic and the role of union and movement organising
Over 1,000 schools now have Covid cases, and it’s about to get worse

Parents and teachers warned of the dangers of full-scale school reopening but were ignored by the government. We must continue to fight for safety first, argues Corinne Pearson
Campuses and Coronavirus: students head to universities despite rising R rate - CounterBlast

As we head into a second wave, students and academic staff must put pressure on the government and university management to keep people safe, argues Lucy Nichols
No to the exam factory: what kind of education do we want? - video

Lindsey German discusses the state of education and what the alternatives could look like
The market crashes: Branch Solidarity Network Bulletin September 2020

Branch Solidarity Network's September bulletin on the return to universities and why face-to-face teaching isn't safe
Students protest against classist education system

Students continue to march against education inequality and for Gavin Williamson to go, reports Lucy Nichols.
Williamson Must Go! Students continue to fight

Students and teachers in Newcastle marked a crucial victory over downgrading by demanding Gavin Williamson’s resignation and education justice, reports David McAllister.
Teach Britain's colonial past as part of the UK's compulsory curriculum

In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, a radical approach is needed to teaching the truth about Britain’s colonial past, argues Orlando da Rocha Hill.
Victory for the students: protests force Tories to u-turn on grades

Students taking to the streets against the Tory algorithm that downgraded working class students’ grades have defeated the government, report Lucy Nichols and Jamal Elaheebocus
Dunce’s cap for Williamson, and a big Fail for the exam system - weekly briefing

Lindsey German on Tory education and why socialists defend refugees
Exam fiasco: students and teachers take to the streets

Young students are fighting back after being unfairly downgraded by the government, reports Shabbir Lakha.
A-Levels fiasco reflects deeper problems with exam factory schooling

The government's shambolic handling of A-level results should prompt a rethink of how our education system works, writes Roy Wilkes
Failing our kids: the Tory exams fiasco

Students, particularly those from working class backgrounds, are the victims of the government’s exam shambles, argues John Westmoreland
Johnson is bullying schools back into unsafe reopening - CounterBlast

The moral duty of the government should be to save lives not risk them, argues Sean Ledwith
Scottish students shouldn’t be downgraded for being working class

In a repost of his column from Conter, David Jamieson assesses the class inequalities that are being exposed in Scotland’s schools
Beyond the Blockade: Education in Cuba - book review

Beyond the Blockade: Education in Cubashows how a country with scarce resources, under an economic blockade, can build an excellent education system, finds Orlando Hill
Erasing empire has to end: why schools need to decolonise the curriculum

Decolonising the curriculum and supporting BAME children at school is a critical step towards tackling systemic racism, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
We can win, with or without Labour's help - CounterBlast 16 June

Marcus Rashford's intervention tipped the balance and pushed the government into concessions on free meals showing movements can win without the Labour machine, argues Shabbir Lakha
Back to school - what we should do differently in education

The closing of schools to the majority of children has given us pause for thought. We can't go back to doing things the same way, argues Karen Parkin
Welsh government's decision on wider school opening goes against its commitment to all

The announcement to wider reopen Welsh schools on 29th June indicates a failure to prioritise the safety of teachers and communities, argues Kevin Potter
Government defeat on schools shows organised resistance can win - CounterBlast 9 June

Teachers and parents have successfully pushed the government back, writes Shabbir Lakha
On the front line: back to school too soon

Teachers are working hard to support children returning to school in difficult circumstances, writes Alex Snowdon
The schools’ crisis: what can we expect

Children will not be returning to normal schooling this week, explains NEU executive member Philipa Harvey
Not until it's safe: stay away on 1st June

Many primary schools will re-open for large numbers of children on Monday. This is too soon, argues NEU activist Tony Dowling
Tories can be beaten over schools reopening

Lockdown has reinvigorated resistance to the Tory plan for education, with a return to school on June 1st being strongly challenged
We won't send our children back until it's safe

This government are not to be trusted over their plans to reopen schools on June 1st, explains Jos Forester-Melville, a parent from the North East
This crisis has exposed the Tory class for what they're really like - CounterBlast 21 May

Is there a day that goes by that you don't just groan at something stupid the Tories have done again?
Stop the re-opening of York schools on 1st June

We cannot let our children be exposed to such risk for the sake of convenience, writes Corinne Pearson
Teacher speaks out against government plans for school opening

Sarah Kilpatrick, a secondary school teacher in Gateshead and Assistant Secretary of her NEU branch, looks at why fulfilling NEU's five tests are critical for the safe opening of schools
Liverpool defies Johnson's dangerous schools plan

Liverpool Council has taken a stand against the government's reckless plan to begin opening schools on 1st June, reports Don Davies
Why teachers won't go back until it's safe

Teachers have been working in the interests of children all through lockdown: the government hasn't, argues David McAllister
Laura Smith: why we should listen to our teaching unions

Teaching unions are right to set tests for the government to meet to protect their members, children, and families, says Laura Smith
Model Letter to your local authority: don't open schools until it is safe

This model letter can be adapted and used to lobby the local authority in your area to put pressure on them not to open the schools until they are safe
It is not safe to reopen schools - Kevin Courtney on Sky News

The National Education Union's joint General Secretary Kevin Courtney spoke to Sky News on why the government's plan to reopen schools is reckless and irresponsible
Teachers: why we won't be rushed back to school

As the government moves towards lifting lockdown, Alex Kenny from the National Education Union executive explains why school staff are not returning until it is safe
Learning from the Lockdown: 10 ways UK education should change after the pandemic

The neoliberal model of education must be scrapped and replaced with a more humane system, argues Sean Ledwith
Profit over people still the mantra, as school meal vouchers don't reach families

Rightly lack of PPE and testing is making news, but amongst the other scandals is the school meals voucher programme, explains Helen Rutherford-Gregory
Herd from the hub: a frontline dispatch

What happens when precarity and key working meet head-on in a pandemic, Andrew Emerson reports
Protest shut the schools, now demand mass testing - CounterBriefing 18 March

In the first CounterBriefing, Katherine Connelly responds to the government's u-turn on school closures after pressure from below
Teachers in New York forced schools to close; we need to do the same

Don't play dice with people's lives. Close schools now, argues Shabbir Lakha
The struggle for education: reports from the UCU strikes

We are into the third week of strikes. UCU negotiators are reporting that there has been progress but have counselled us to keep up the pressure. Here is a series of reports of the strikes from different parts of the country
Young people didn't vote for Boris and they will stand against him

Young people fought for Corbyn but will now face another Tory government. We need to channel our anger into activism, argues Lucy Nichols
The lecturers are fighting back: reports from UCU strike day 1

As lecturers at 60 universities around the country began eight days of strike action, Counterfire activists reported from picket lines on day one of the strike
Labour's plan is what schools need

Labour manifesto promises for education are worth fighting for, writes Alex Snowdon
Chicago teachers wield collective bargaining as weapon against austerity

Teachers in Chicago are building on the successes of 2012 to create an inspirational campaign and win important victories, reports Kate O’Neil
Oxford Union violently ejects blind, black student from debate

The Oxford Union demonstrates that it remains at heart a racist, conservative institution, argues Josh Newman
University staff set to strike on pay and pensions

Now is the time to fight against the marketisation of universities, argues Des Freedman
Sixth Form teachers are striking against years of devastating cuts

Andrew Stone, secretary of Wandsworth NEU and a Sixth Form teacher in London, spoke to Counterfire’s Katherine Connelly about why teachers are taking strike action
Education is a key front in the battle against climate breakdown

At a climate emergency conference organised by the National Education Union, teachers and union activists discussed how to build the movement against climate change, reports Orlando Hill
University unions build for an autumn of discontent

Industrial action is the only way to improve conditions in higher education
Johnson's schools revolution? Beware the hype

New promises of more spending in schools reflect enormous popular pressure on the Tories but do not match what is required, argues Alex Snowdon
Jo Grady victory: all change at the top of UCU

Jo Grady has been elected General Secretary of UCU in a victory for the left, now the rank and file need to get organised argues Graham Kirkwood
Tsunami da Educação: students stand up to Bolsonaro

In their millions, Brazilian students and workers protest against education cuts, reports Orlando Hill
Counterfire statement on UCU election for general secretary

Voting starts this week for a new general secretary for the UCU, following the resignation of Sally Hunt. Counterfire members in the union have agreed this statement:
Knife crime and youth violence: poverty, powerlessness and a way ahead

A commission has found that austerity has played a central role in creating the conditions for the spike in knife crime around the country, reports Kiri Tunks
Climate strikers: ‘capitalism is ill-equipped to deal with the crisis’

School students spoke to Feyzi Ismail at the second Youth Strike 4 Climate in London on Friday. They are informed, defiant and resolute
Peak inequality: Britain's ticking time bomb - review

Danny Dorling’s Peak Inequality provides powerful evidence of the damage that rising inequality has had across housing, education, health and demography, finds Sean Ledwith
Learn to conform or learn to transform?

School students have common ground with teachers in finding this government their main enemy, whether it comes to the value of their learning or climate chaos, argues Dean McAndrew
From toy drones to real ones: the arms trade and education

By allowing the arms trade into schools, colleges and universities, we are teaching children that innovation for the sake of destruction is acceptable and desirable, argues Lucy Nichols
Essex got SOLE: library campaigners launch 'book raids' and protests against closures

A vibrant campaign to save Essex libraries is gaining traction. Jean Quinn, teacher and National Education Union member, reports on how they are organising to stop the mass closures
Miseducating for the Global Economy - book review

Miseducating for the Global Economy exposes the neoliberal push to package education for the sake of corporate rather than social interests, finds Phil Armstrong
Student protests in France and Albania: could Britain be next?

Dragan Plavšić looks at spreading student protest and where it could go next
French high school students rise against Macron in 'Black Tuesday' protests

Opposing Macron's neoliberal education reforms and police repression, tens of thousands of students are out on strike, vowing to join up the struggles, reports Jack Sherwood
Students protest in Albania: internationalist alternatives in the Balkans

Students in Albania are protesting, and the solidarity pouring in from across the Balkans shows the possibility for internationalist alternatives, argues Kevin Ovenden
Jeremy Corbyn joins teachers to demand an end to education cuts

The National Education Union organised a march and rally in Westminster on Tuesday, declaring "enough is enough" and launched an indicative strike ballot
Is austerity over? The picture from the North East shows it isn't

Theresa May recently said that austerity was coming to an end. Tony Dowling from the People's Assembly North East explains why this isn't true
The Tories are destroying our schools, we need a socialist education policy

The campaign against school funding cuts has attracted a lot of attention, but a socialist education policy can do much more than solve the funding crisis argues Judy Cox
Why summer holidays are a time of dread and not joy for many families

We are not a poor society, and should not be failing our children like this, argues Kelly Grahan
The Cynical Educator - book review

Today’s education system may be making professionals into Cynics, but the answer is collective struggle, not ancient philosophy, argues Dominic Alexander
Countering Extremism in British schools? - book review

Countering Extremism, an account of the Birmingham schools ‘Trojan Horse affair’, is a devastating critique of government and media Islamophobia, finds Judy Cox
UCU: we are the union

The annual UCU conference has begun and the leadership, unwilling to accept criticism, has acted anti-democratically and with contempt of its members reports Des Freedman
Kentucky school teachers: why we're walking out on strike

As school teachers walk out across the US, in Kentucky they're storming the state Capitol and making big demands, reports striking teacher James H. Miller
University workers' statement on UCU ballot result

The strike is over: our fight is not
The case to vote 'no' in the UCU ballot and how we can win

As university workers vote in a ballot on UUK's latest offer, Lee Jones explains why they should vote no and how the campaign to reject the deal can win
Vote NO: university workers call to reject proposed deal

Lecturers and supporters met at a national activists meeting today to discuss the campaign to reject UUK's proposed deal
Newham says no to academisation

The fight against academisation in the East End is on, with three schools taking strike action
We're not going to take it any more - statement from precarious staff at the University of Kent

Following the UCU strike against pension cuts, precarious staff at the University of Kent release a statement demanding no pay cuts for strike action for already poorly paid staff
Lecturers' strike update: no capitulation

Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why the deal between UCU and UUK is bad one and should be rejected
Lecturers' strike update: together we can win

As the lecturers' stike enters its final week, a lecturer explains what we have achieved and what we still need to do
Lecturers' strike update: students at Reading University begin occupation

Joining a wave of student occupations that look set to escalate this week, students at Reading University have begun an occupation in solildarity with striking lecturers
Student Occupations Live #OccupyUUK

Live updates of students occupying university buildings in solidarity with striking lecturers. #UCUstrike #StrikeForUSS
Lecturers' strike: interview with a QMU striker

A UCU striker at Queen Mary University speaks to Katherine Connelly about the ongoing dispute
Lecturers' strike report: students show their support

On the 5th day of the UCU strike, picket lines stayed strong despite the weather and students came out in force to show their support
Europe: why retreat must not turn into defeat for the left - weekly briefing

Lindsey German analyses Jeremy Corbyn's speech on Brexit, as well as the importance of the UCU strike and the growing movement against the NRA in the US
Lecturers' strike updates: Striking to win

As the UCU strike carries on into its 4th day, we put together some short reports from picket lines around the country
Bristol leads the way in supporting striking university staff - photos

After a huge mobilisation to support striking lecturers on the first day of the strike, Bristolians took to the streets again to show solidarity reports Jack Sherwood
Solidarity with striking lecturers - resolution

Resolution to submit at your Union branches/CLPs/elsewhere in solidarity with UCU members going on strike from Thursday
Why we strike: why lecturers need your support

As university staff are set to take strike action, two lecturers, Des Freedman and Vladimir Unkovski-Korica explain why you should support the strike
Toby Young: How deeply has the rot set in?

The allegations of sexism and homophobia are piling up, and his time is running out
White working class boys: aspiration's not the issue

All working class children in Britain, not just white working class boys, have been affected by generations of educational apartheid, argues Kevin Ovenden
Toby Young: may contain offensive material

The views of Toby Young have no place in society, let alone education. Sack him now, argues Judy Cox
Educational Justice: Teaching and Organising Against the Corporate Juggernaut - book review

Educational Justice provides a clear view of the corporate program to deform schools, and turn education into a profitable production line, finds Adam Tomes
Reactions to Budget 2017: resisting Foodbank Britain

Despite heavy opposition and protests, Philip Hammond's budget continues with austerity. A short round up from Counterfire of some of the reactions.
Teaching assistants: the results of resistance

As teaching assistants in Durham accept a new pay offer, Megan Charlton debunks the myths about the dispute, and Bridget Yuill explains why she voted for the deal
Theresa May's government is busy doing nothing, but we're still suffering - weekly briefing

The ruling party of the ruling class may be in limbo but our side has no time to lose, argues Lindsey German
No level playing fields at Eton

Private schools are incompatible with ideas of equality and opportunity, writes Judy Cox
Are books in schools for reading or for balancing?

Bridget Yuill from the Durham Teaching Assistants campaign looks at some of the wider issues raised by cost cutting in education
Mayor of Bristol to lead protest against austerity

The move by Marvin Rees provides a significant opportunity for the anti-austerity movement
Carnival against the school cuts

Many gathered over the weekend to oppose education cuts, reports Orlando Hill
Education spending: austerity continues

Justine Greening's spending announcement provides no comfort for schools, argues Judy Cox
Durham Teaching assistants: Behind closed doors? Or out in the open?

The Durham Teaching assistants campaign is a lesson in organised resistance
Hungary: the end of democratic illusions

The government-sponsored attack on the Central European University (CEU) represents one more step in the country’s authoritarian drift
High school students across France mobilise to reject the pseudo-choice between Macron and Le Pen

Just before the final round of France’s presidential election, lycéens (high school students) are continuing to provide the sharpest and most combative opposition to the two contenders
NUT conference: from the Lions of Durham

The Durham TAs' experience - struggle builds confidence; the more we fight, the stronger we become
NUT conference: united to fight

As NUT delegates met at the union's final annual conference, immense feelings of unity and defiance were tangible, writes Tony Dowling
The movement is growing: teaching assistants on the front foot in Durham

Durham teaching assistants brought together people from across the country in a huge show of solidarity
Value us: the Lions of Durham keep roaring

Saturday March 25 saw a County Durham Teaching Assistants national march and rally, Dawn Warcup was there to report
Durham teaching assistants: an open letter to a Labour councillor

Dear Labour Councillor, don’t blame me if you are now being held to account for your decisions…
The great academy rip off

The free market in education is a disaster, and children are paying the price, writes Judy Cox
Is Technology Good for Education?

Neil Selwyn’s careful critique of ‘ed-tech’ is grounded in a humane commitment to education for a more equal and just society, finds Alex Snowdon
The Capitalist University: The Transformation of Higher Education in the United States since 1945

Henry Heller’s The Capitalist University shows how higher education has served capitalism for over a hundred years, finds Orlando Hill
What's going on with the Teaching Assistants' strike action?

The Durham Teaching Assistants' dispute has been going on for some time now, Tony Dowling speaks to Megan Charlton to find out what it's all about
Boiling point: the crises created by neoliberalism

The crises facing the NHS, London Underground and housing are just a few examples of the results of austerity and privatisation argues Lindsey German
Pride, solidarity, anger and hope: 2016 for Durham Teaching Assistants

Durham Teaching Assistants' year of resistance is summed up by Megan Charlton
Durham Teaching Assistants: the fight goes on

With further strikes by Durham Teaching Assistants soon taking place, Megan Charlton reports on the highs and lows of the campaign
Unionising university workers - extract

In the third extract from The Capitalist University, Henry Heller writes about growing resistance to the corporate university
The assault on universities: the 2016 version

Ahead of the education protest called by the NUS and UCU on 19 November, Des Freedman and Feyzi Ismail explain why staff and students should join it
Striking to defend the education of their communities

The Durham Teaching Assistants ratcheted up their campaign with two days of strike action last week. Megan Charlton was there to report
Universities and the Cold War - extract

The second extract from Heller's The Capitalist University describes intellectual and political conformity that dominated academia during the Cold War
The Capitalist University
Universities, corporations and class - extract

We republish the first of three extracts from Henry Heller's new book The Capitalist University, which resonates with the marketisation of HE in Britain
Defend the Kinsley School cleaners

The small disputes, which appear separate, are coming together to form a movement, argues says John Westmoreland
Solidarity with Durham Teaching Assistants: what comes around, goes around

Thousands took to the streets of Birmingham last weekend to protest the Tory Party conference. Megan Charlton of the Durham TAs was there to participate and report
Durham Teaching Assistants: enough is enough

Teaching Assistants in Durham won't accept a pay cut imposed by the council, writes Lizzy Anderson
Teaching Assistants: showdown with Durham County Council

Durham County Council may have bitten off more than they can chew in challenging their local Teaching Assistants, reports embedded campaigner Megan Charlton
Back to Bash Street? May's grammar school myths

As Theresa May tries to take us back in time, Sean Ledwith and Adam Tomes take a look at the grammar school debate
Chilean student movement: back in the streets for free education

As the Tories announce plans to remove the cap on tuition fees, Hector Rios looks at how Chilean education was marketised, and how students are resisting
Against Capitalist Education

Against Capitalist Education is a striking call for education to be freed of the straightjacket of the capitalist market, finds Phil Armstrong
The Tories and academies: a coup against democracy

As the Tories plan to turn every school into an academy, Alastair Stephens takes a look at the motives behind the drive
Teachers prepare for confrontation with government

The NUT conference captured the angry mood among teachers over the Tories' academies plans, reports Tony Dowling
Easy as ABC: teachers resist academies

Is the Tories’ forced academisation programme the final straw in their assault on public education?
Academies: stop the Tory assault on our schools

The academies programme is a political attack on state education, writes Alex Snowdon
We can be heroes: remembering David Bowie with a purpose

Philosophy Football's Bowie shirts are a fitting memorial for the late artist, writes Mark Perryman
Education targets: the need for a radical rethink

A culture of target-chasing has become all pervasive in our schools. Phil Armstrong looks at the issues

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Education

Education

Hunt’s budget attack on working people assessed by Dominic Alexander

Counterfire spoke to a UCU member at Birkbeck, University of London about the redundancies proposed by management.

As the union fightback rises nationally, ten days of strike action in Further Education marks a significant return to industrial action in the sector, argues Tom Whittaker.

Justice for Chris Kaba, the crisis in our schools, why we need to fight for peace in Ukraine, myths of monarchy, the intensification of climate breakdown, Felixstowe and Liverpool dock strikes and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

Alex Snowdon on Palestine, economics and education

Jayne Gillies, UCU rep at Bury College, reports on the upcoming strike action at FE colleges in the North West after UCU members roundly rejected insulting pay offers

Alex Snowdon reports on the debates and decisions at the National Education Union's conference, and the mood to take the fight to the Tories

Carole Vincent reports from the NEU picket line at Walthamstow Primary Academy where teachers are taking action over pay, workloads and bullying

After the appalling police assault on Child Q, protesters in Hackney confront the racism and sexism of the state, reports Elly Badcock

On Thursday morning, 1,500 teachers, members of the National Education Union, began the first of six days of strike action to defend their pensions. Counterfire members report from the picket lines

Paulo Freire, a Philosophical Biography has some important insights for teachers but also for activists organising social movements, finds Orlando Hill

The Tories' mishandling of the pandemic has once again left us starting the year with the NHS and schools in crisis, writes Terina Hine

In opposition to a new law that is widely seen as a step towards marketising education, teachers defiantly walked out across Greece, reports Kevin Ovenden

This month's Counterfire Schools Bulletin on Tory cuts, climate change and refugees

David McAllister explains why teachers will be joining the People's Assembly demonstration outside the Tory Party conference on 3 October

The education system is built to preserve class society, that’s why the right are crying foul when working class kids do better than planned, argues John Westmoreland

A-level results compound and reflect the deep inequalities that disadvantage working class children, argues Terina Hine

Teaching Latin and Classics in state schools will do little to address the needs of young people, writes Lucy Nichols

After the recent revival of mass resistance for Palestine, David McAllister interviews Louise Regan of the NEU and Palestine Solidarity Campaign about the crucial role of trade unions

Ahead of a rally on Monday, UCU’s battle to save jobs at Liverpool University is a critical fight for the whole sector

A vibrant coalition of trade unions and social movements took to the streets of London on Saturday for the People’s Assembly National Demonstration, reports Cici Washburn

Students will be marching this Saturday as part of a united opposition against this inept and untrustworthy Tory government, writes Chris Adair

The government is trying to stoke a culture war with its latest report looking everywhere but its own anti-working-class policies for disparities in education, writes Terina Hine

The handling and organisation of this year's Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) has further displayed the contempt and ineptitude of Gavin Williamson, argues Reece Goscinski

Gavin Williamson is maintaining his record as the worst Education Secretary in living memory, writes Sean Ledwith

Following protests and the threat of strike action, Pimlico Academy’s out of touch headteacher has announced his resignation, reports Jamal Elaheebocus

NEU members at Leaways School in Hackney have been on strike for 18 days over trade union victimisation and the treatment of children and they aren't backing down

Students who organised a protest against their schools racist policies have outrageously been threatened with expulsion, we cannot let this happen, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

This month's Counterfire Schools Bulletin on union organisation in schools, attacks on Early Years, fair pay for frontline workers and defending the right to protest

NEU conference took stock of a challenging and momentous year, but also addressed major current issues and plotted a way ahead, reports Tony Dowling

Williamson’s Covid catch-up plan will not address the real fault lines in our schooling system, says Sean Ledwith

David McAllister responds to Boris Johnson's "big bang" school reopening plans for 8 March

Fully re-opening schools on March 8 is dangerous and risks another increase in infections and deaths, argues David McAllister

The first edition of the Counterfire Schools Bulletin, Staffroom Voice, on why it's too early to reopen schools and how school staff and parents are fighting back

The government and universities are using Covid as cover to attack workers and students, but the sector is fighting back, writes Milly Williamson involved in the dispute at Goldsmiths University

The government is using fake concern about lockdown learning as a smokescreen to justify another risky reopening of schools, argues Sean Ledwith

By pushing school reopening again, the government is deliberately ignoring the detrimental effect the virus is having on an alarming number of children, argues Caitlin Southern

Just three weeks after the government's u-turn on schools, it is again pushing to do the same thing all over again, writes Terina Hine

Alex Snowdon on Johnson's ceaseless governmental crisis and the fight for Zero Covid

After yet another u-turn on schools, it's clear that organisation and popular pressure are the only antidotes to the Tories’ reckless handling of the pandemic, argues Kara Bryan

The Tory ban on ‘anti-capitalist teaching materials’ in schools is a clear attempt to stifle dissent, writes Holly Barrow

The National Education Union has shown what a fighting union can achieve, says Tony Dowling

Simon Duckett, a school worker and NEU rep in South West England describes how collective action pushed back against the government

The government’s delay on schools has shown how little they care about pupils and teachers and we’re sick and tired of it, writes Isabella, a secondary school student

Alex Snowdon assesses the first government crisis of 2021

The stand-off between education unions and the government is a battle for us all, argues David Hamet.

With record case numbers and hospitalisations, and increasing deaths, returning to school next week would be catastrophic, writes a secondary school teacher

Students will need to continue the fight for education as a right, argues Lucy Nichols

Despite soaring infection rates, students in Tier 4 areas are expected to return to classrooms in January and are demanding safety first

By refusing to seriously address infection rates in schools. the Tories have guaranteed a difficult and dangerous Christmas for many, argues Terina Hine

The weaponisation of antisemitism could soon hit the campuses, warns Lucy Nichols

GCSE and A-level exams going ahead in 2021 shows that the government has learnt nothing from the chaos they caused this year, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

There is no justification for the public sector pay freeze, it's a slap in the face for teachers and key workers that have kept society running, says David McAllister

As part of our series on the future of the left in and out of Labour, Laura Smith outlines a path forward

Two and a half months into the first term of the school year and there is chaos, confusion and Covid in every aspect of education, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

By continuing to keep schools open, the government is forcing teachers, children and parents into an unforgivable level of danger, argues Kara Bryan

Parents around the country took boycott action on Nov 5th, demanding protection for teachers, children and families, reports BRTUS: Parents United

The failures of this government to control the pandemic have pushed schools and communities into an extremely difficult and dangerous situation, writes Sarah Kilpatrick

The financial priorities of the neoliberal university have fuelled the COVID crisis and the antidote is solidarity between lecturers and students, argues Dragan Plavšić

It’s not just the potential of a repeated exams fiasco next year but the role of exams in education altogether that needs to be challenged, argues John Westmoreland

With the mounting crisis in universities over rising Covid cases, students and lecturers must agitate together for safe learning, argues Lucy Nichols

Blaming students is a cynical move to distract from the deeper causes of the recent outbreaks, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

As the number of schools with coronavirus cases continues to rise, a primary school teacher at a London school tells us what it's like on the frontline

A rushed ‘return to normal’ is driving up the infection rates and, increasingly, the death rate, writes Alex Snowdon

With rising infection rates, we need to confront Tory failures and campaign hard for safe and sustainable schools, argues David McAllister

As coronavirus infection rates soar, and hundreds of schools are hit by cases, Counterfire demands government action.

As part of a discussion on the next steps for the left after the rightward shift of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer, looks at Tory failures during the pandemic and the role of union and movement organising

Parents and teachers warned of the dangers of full-scale school reopening but were ignored by the government. We must continue to fight for safety first, argues Corinne Pearson

As we head into a second wave, students and academic staff must put pressure on the government and university management to keep people safe, argues Lucy Nichols

Lindsey German discusses the state of education and what the alternatives could look like

Branch Solidarity Network's September bulletin on the return to universities and why face-to-face teaching isn't safe

Students continue to march against education inequality and for Gavin Williamson to go, reports Lucy Nichols.

Students and teachers in Newcastle marked a crucial victory over downgrading by demanding Gavin Williamson’s resignation and education justice, reports David McAllister.