The NUT meeting at Manningham Middle School last Tuesday wasattended by around 100 members. Ian Murch outlined the perniciousnature of the threshold application procedure and the introductionof performance management, which will apply to EVERY teacher whetherthey are eligible for the threshold or not.
The meeting overwhelmingly endorsed the NUT’s oppositionto PRP and the Performance Management system and encouraged membersto take the following practical steps to show their opposition.
Encourage all NUT colleague members to fill in and returnthe survey form by 14th April, showing their willingness totake action against the forced introduction of PRP. Don’tforget to do yours, too. We need a high turnout and a high percentagein favour of action.
Do not make an application to cross the threshold yet,and seek agreement with your colleagues that no-one will do sountil more detailed advice has been received from the Union -you have until June 5th to apply.
Internationally, systems of payment by results for teachershave recently been successfully fought in New Zealand and Italyby campaigns which included strike action.
The Union is also exploring legal and Parliamentary routes. It has applied for a judicial review of the process which theGovernment is using to introduce payment by results. A lobbyof Parliament has been organized – Bradford NUT is sending2 members to lobby each of our MPs on 12th April.
Support this by writing to your MP today. It doesn’thave to be a long letter but mention things like the demoralisingeffect of PRP, the fact that the government is now having to payPGCE students to get recruits to the profession, the need to payall teachers properly if they are to keep those with experience,the educational damage of undermining teamwork.
We need to win the argument with parents and governors about- among other things - the potential damage to teamwork frompayment by results, and the danger of focussing most energy onthose children near grade boundaries in particular subjects. Locallya group of members is working on campaigning material to takethe arguments to the wider community.
Contact this office for information aboutcampaigning materials.
If threshold payments and performance management are upheld,there will be Union advice on how to fill in the form in goodtime. The NUT has already consulted with Hay McBer, who drewup the threshold assessment procedures for the Government, andis developing this advice in case it is needed.