The NUT is taking national strike action on Tuesday 5 July over savage cuts to education funding and changes to conditions of service.

Cuts will increase class sizes and reduce range of subjects

The Government’s proposed national “fairer” funding formula will mean the average primary school in Calderdale loses £58,000 in real terms from their budget. For secondary schools, it will be £270,000. This is clearly unsustainable when a great number of local schools are already making staff redundant. Already, class sizes are increasing, and the number of subjects offered to Calderdale’s young people is shrinking.

The Government has not listened to our concerns. No teacher wants to strike, but we feel we have no other way of protecting the education funding that young people in Calderdale rely on.

Academisation plans still on track

The much publicised, but fairly unsubstantial “u-turn” around the Government’s controversial forced academisation will do little to protect teachers’ conditions of service. They still have a stated goal of turning all local authority schools into academies. This will be devastating for teachers, even if they already teach in academies as it means they will no longer have nationally negotiated pay and conditions and schools will have the freedom to reduce pay, maternity and redundancy entitlements and increase
working hours.

Widespread public opposition to austerity agenda

Calderdale NUT have been speaking to parents and distributing leaflets this weekend, and have received a very positive response from the public, who are very concerned about the effect that the austerity agenda will have on the future of our young people.

On Tuesday, there is a rally for education in Leeds, assembling at 10:30 am  at Victoria Gardens, followed by speakers at the City Varieties hall at 11:00. All members of the public are welcome.