Teachers

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
Why 1,500 teachers in 23 schools are going on strike this week

For the first time in 149 years, teachers at Girls Day School Trust schools nationally will be walking out. An NEU member in one of the schools tells us why
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
'Royal College of Burnout': why lecturers are striking

Ground report from one of the solidarity rallies in support of the FE colleges who've entered their second week of strike action
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
College lecturers strike to defend further education

Further Education teachers in ten colleges walked out this week to demand pay parity, reports Sean Ledwith
Oak Park school strike: teachers stand defiant against bullying

Teachers at Oak Park school continue to strike for safety and against bullying from management, reports Carole Vincent
Unreasonable, unethical and unnecessary: the theft of university pensions - interview

Feyzi Ismail interviews Dr Deepa Driver, one of the UCU's national negotiators on pensions, about the attacks on university workers’ pensions and how they can be resisted
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
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
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
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
Stand with teachers: keep schools closed - model resolution

A model resolution to put to your trade union branch or other organisation to build support for teachers and support staff
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
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
Sunak’s spending priorities: money for the rich, pay freeze for key workers

The Tory spending review shows the government’s priority is to protect profits and making working class people pay, argues Shabbir Lakha
‘Islamo-leftism’: Macron ramps up attacks on Muslims and the left in France

In France, ‘Islamo-gauchisme’ is the watchword of a widening attack on basic freedoms, targeting anti-racists and the left writes Susan Ram
Universities must lock down too

We must move teaching online, test students and allow them home argues Dragan Plavšić
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
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
North East: Campaign4SafeSchools Statement

The government has failed teachers and students and they have no Plan B as cases continue to rise
10 things wrong with the government’s return to school 'plan'

Parents want their children back in school, but government planning doesn't guarantee it will be safe, argues Corinne Pearson
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
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
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
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
A Manifesto of resistance: to protect higher education during COVID times

Universities are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, this manifesto protects them post lockdown
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
NEU in battle with Labour council in Tower Hamlets

As Tower Hamlet's Council is trying to crack down on the power of organised labour, the NEU is working to help teachers and support staff in the area
High stakes in UCU strike: another 14 days of action announced

Higher turnout likely than last year but the strike needs solidarity from the whole labour movement, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
Staff-student solidarity is being built in the UCU strike

Teach-outs are building staff-student solidarity and provide a model for a better university, writes Clare Burgess
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
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
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
The importance of mass mobilisation against war

Build the mass movements against war. Kevin Courtney's speech from the Stop the War Coalition national conference
Newham says no to academisation

The fight against academisation in the East End is on, with three schools taking strike action
Stunning victory for teachers in West Virginia

This win is a huge step forward for the labour movement in the United States
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
Fighting back in the 21st century: the NUT and social movement trade unionism

Alex Kenny from the National Union of Teachers talks to Counterfire’s Chris Nineham
Statement from Durham teaching assistants in response to new deal offered

The activist committee has serious concerns about the proposal
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
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
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?
Gateshead teachers strike on May Day to save jobs at Thorp Academy

NUT members at Thorp Academy in Gateshead took strike action on Friday in defence of colleagues threatened by compulsory redundancy - Tony Dowling reports

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Teachers

Teachers

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

For the first time in 149 years, teachers at Girls Day School Trust schools nationally will be walking out. An NEU member in one of the schools tells us why

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

Ground report from one of the solidarity rallies in support of the FE colleges who've entered their second week of strike action

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

Further Education teachers in ten colleges walked out this week to demand pay parity, reports Sean Ledwith

Teachers at Oak Park school continue to strike for safety and against bullying from management, reports Carole Vincent

Feyzi Ismail interviews Dr Deepa Driver, one of the UCU's national negotiators on pensions, about the attacks on university workers’ pensions and how they can be resisted

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

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

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

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

A model resolution to put to your trade union branch or other organisation to build support for teachers and support staff

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

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

The Tory spending review shows the government’s priority is to protect profits and making working class people pay, argues Shabbir Lakha

In France, ‘Islamo-gauchisme’ is the watchword of a widening attack on basic freedoms, targeting anti-racists and the left writes Susan Ram

We must move teaching online, test students and allow them home argues Dragan Plavšić

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

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

The government has failed teachers and students and they have no Plan B as cases continue to rise

Parents want their children back in school, but government planning doesn't guarantee it will be safe, argues Corinne Pearson

The announcement to wider reopen Welsh schools on 29th June indicates a failure to prioritise the safety of teachers and communities, argues Kevin Potter

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

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

Teaching unions are right to set tests for the government to meet to protect their members, children, and families, says Laura Smith

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

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

Universities are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, this manifesto protects them post lockdown

The neoliberal model of education must be scrapped and replaced with a more humane system, argues Sean Ledwith

As Tower Hamlet's Council is trying to crack down on the power of organised labour, the NEU is working to help teachers and support staff in the area

Higher turnout likely than last year but the strike needs solidarity from the whole labour movement, argues Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

Teach-outs are building staff-student solidarity and provide a model for a better university, writes Clare Burgess

Teachers in Chicago are building on the successes of 2012 to create an inspirational campaign and win important victories, reports Kate O’Neil

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

The National Education Union organised a march and rally in Westminster on Tuesday, declaring "enough is enough" and launched an indicative strike ballot

Build the mass movements against war. Kevin Courtney's speech from the Stop the War Coalition national conference

The fight against academisation in the East End is on, with three schools taking strike action

This win is a huge step forward for the labour movement in the United States

Bridget Yuill from the Durham Teaching Assistants campaign looks at some of the wider issues raised by cost cutting in education

Alex Kenny from the National Union of Teachers talks to Counterfire’s Chris Nineham

The activist committee has serious concerns about the proposal

Durham teaching assistants brought together people from across the country in a huge show of solidarity

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

The NUT conference captured the angry mood among teachers over the Tories' academies plans, reports Tony Dowling

Is the Tories’ forced academisation programme the final straw in their assault on public education?

NUT members at Thorp Academy in Gateshead took strike action on Friday in defence of colleagues threatened by compulsory redundancy - Tony Dowling reports