'Every One of You Are Heroes'

Leading by example Post-pandemic plan Guiding the Government ‘David personifies the unique What next as we emerge Education is key for whoever qualities of a great teacher.’ from a year of Covid? is in charge from 6 May. inwales Issue 67 Summer term 2021 ‘Every one of you are heroes’ THE NEU in Wales made a real impact during the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to the hard work of members. Opening the third NEU Cymru conference, held digitally on 6 and 7 March, joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said reps and members could take great pride in the way the profession had risen to the challenges faced. “There’ll be a lot more for the union to do to fight for education recovery,” said Kevin, who was born and educated in Pontypridd before leaving for university in London. He said levels of poverty had grown since (From left) Shavanah Taj, Daniel Kebede and Ceinwen Davies the start of the Westminster Government’s n austerity drive in 2010. Covid had thrown it Other guest speakers were Daniel Kebede, NEU senior vice-president, Daniel into sharp relief, and the NEU would be at NEU senior vice-president, and Avis Gilmore, Kebede said members wanted to see the forefront of bearing down on childhood deputy general secretary of the union. a fundamental shift in the direction of poverty and inequality. The conference was attended by more education: “We will be in our second Guest speaker Shavanah Taj, the first than 100 delegates from all 22 districts academic year without high-stakes Black general secretary of the TUC in Wales, representing almost 19,000 members in Wales. primary assessment driving the mental praised the “hybrid” way educators had been All 14 policy motions put forward were agreed. health of our children into the ground working, teaching digitally and/or physically and narrowing our curriculum, so let’s going into school. “It saddens me, and angers Policy motions in brief make sure that never returns.” n me actually, when people look at the sector and TEACHERS should be afforded the He said schools had continued to this profession as if their only job is simply to professional trust and responsibility to be the heartbeats of their communities provide a service. To me, every one of you are work from home during PPA sessions in throughout the pandemic without heroes because I’ve had my kids at home, and the future, conference agreed. inspections – and the inspectors had not they are a nightmare. I don’t know how you John Griffiths from Newport district been missed. GCSE grades were being deal with them all day long.” said: “Prior to March 2020, health and awarded by educators for a second She said there were real opportunities to safety was often quoted as the main year so why return to a secondary keep building the trade union movement in reason staff were not permitted to work assessment system dependent on Wales and thanked members for making sure from home.” Teachers did not need performance in exams, he asked. people were protected in the workplace and to be constantly micromanaged, he Welsh executive member knew how to access and exercise their rights. said, joking: “Of course, there may still Mairead Canavan said it was time to NEU president Robin Bevan, who be some teachers who cannot be acknowledge the harm done due to chaired the conference, said: “You can’t trusted to keep their fingers out of the the “exam factories” children are taught educate a child who is in poverty, who is more toaster if there isn’t a member of senior in. “We need to be vigilant that the new concerned about what they face at home than management to keep an eye on them.” curriculum in Wales does turn out to what school might bring them.” He said it was Conference also agreed, in the light be a change for the better. The worst time for the wider public to understand that a of increased workloads, to press for PPA scenario is that the exam system will unionised workforce was in the best interests of time to be increased from ten per cent continue to run alongside it.” the communities they served. of contract time to 15 per cent. continued on page 2 educate in Wales Your magazine from the National Education Union (NEU) 1 Conference news continued from page 1 Policy motions in brief n Building capable and resilient citizens SOME staff who work with children with additional learning needs (ALN) THE health and wellbeing of pupils and staff in every local authority. and carry out intimate procedures was high on the agenda at the conference with The conference also agreed to put pressure with their pupils have been offered the several motions reflecting members’ concerns. on the Welsh Government to ensure that all coronavirus vaccination. But conference Dai Edwards from Flintshire said that, young people and families in need of mental agreed that all educators working in with the wider opening of schools, it would health support should have immediate access ALN provisions should be treated as a be important to continue to push for adequate to it to prevent long-term consequences. priority group and offered the jab. PPE for all staff and for the deployment of Kathleen Steelandt from Denbighshire adequately trained professional cleaning staff. said many children had witnessed domestic n “WE all know the research that shows Lateral flow tests must be administered violence, had lost loved ones, had not seen that being in a room with fresh air properly if they are to be effective and risk their friends and may not have had fresh air for can reduce your risk of coronavirus assessments must be kept updated, he said. long periods during the pandemic. Teachers infection,” said science teacher Daniel “We need to protect people, we need to will need access to training linked to surviving Wilson from Blaenau Gwent. protect our senior leaders whose stress levels, trauma and developing mental wellbeing, “so “As a scientist and as somebody I can assure you, are going through the roof at that we can give our children the recovery they from an ethnic minority, it frustrates the moment,” Dai told conference. deserve to become mentally healthy adults”. me when people who don’t work in Delegates agreed that staff wellbeing “It’s up to us to build capable and resilient classrooms don’t appreciate what lack should become a priority campaign and that citizens. As a union we play a key part in of ventilation can mean.” the union should call for the funding of a post making wise decisions on the journey ahead,” of a staff wellbeing/mental health ambassador Kathleen said. n A MINUTE’S silence was held during the conference to remember family and friends of members who have died Curriculum needs urgent equality overhaul during the previous 12 months. Particular AS teachers across Wales prepare to embrace from disadvantaged backgrounds, we need mention was made of NEU Welsh the new curriculum from next year, members more visual role models in schools. We need activists Steffan ap Dafydd and Marilyn had an ethical duty to ensure it reflects all the more Black teachers who can help break the Bater, in whose memory Billy Bragg’s pupils they teach and tells the successful and stereotypes and unconscious bias that exist song Power in a Union was played. unsung stories of their ancestors. within society and within schools.” Speaking on a motion on decolonising the Earlier, Roxanne Beckles from the Vale n MEMBERS demanded that the curriculum, Julian Konten from Cardiff said of Glamorgan had listed the names of many statutory pay and conditions for schools the Black Lives Matter movement had once successful but largely unknown Black men should be extended to the post-16 again highlighted the importance of equality and women including inventors, scientists and sector. NEU Cymru will work with other and of inclusion. war heroes. She said the curriculum needed an teaching unions to campaign for parity “More importantly, it highlighted the urgent overhaul to make sure they and others and for a funding uplift to restore money lack of representation or under-representation like them were represented. lost to FE colleges since 2010. of Black people in different institutions and Conference agreed that change should start sectors, especially education,” he said. within the union by promoting and continuing n WOMEN teachers over the age of “If we are to raise the aspirations of to take into account Black members’ concerns 45 are being increasingly subjected to those in the Black community and those and support them into shaping NEU policy. discrimination and bullying, conference was told. Flintshire delegate Cheryl Latham said: “Older female teachers Campaign to save rural Welsh schools have years of professional experience, NEU Cymru is to actively campaign to save members who return to face-to-face education skills, wisdom and expertise, but are rural schools across Wales as concern mounts with their school under threat of being reduced often denied jobs in favour of younger about the effect of closures on pupils’ mental or completely closed,” she said. teachers who earn much less than they health and educators’ jobs. Some of the schools are at the heart of do and are an attractive proposition to Several small schools across Ynys Môn, communities with a high proportion of Welsh cash-strapped schools.” Powys, Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire and Neath speakers. Ceinwen said that in one case, if She said many workplaces were also Port Talbot are facing the threat of closure, with the school closes, alternative options include unsuitable for women with menopause councils of different political persuasions ignoring sending children to school in England: “Not a issues.

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