Act Local, Think Global

ACT LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL

REPORT OF THE

YOUNG TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE

7-9 JULY 2006

STOKE ROCHFORD HALL

YTFC REPORT (JULY 2006)_RB121 October 2018

Created: 8 August 2006/JM

Revised: 22 August 2006/CS

YOUNG TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE

FRIDAY, 7-SUNDAY, 9 JULY 2006

Stoke Rochford Hall

THEME: ACT LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL

PROGRAMME

Friday (optional evening attendance)
6.00 p.m. onwards / Check In
Stoke Rochford Hall Reception
7.00-9.00 p.m. / DINNER (table service)
Reflections Restaurant
9.00-10.00 p.m. / Registration
Conference Centre
10.00-11.30 p.m. / QUIZ
SASHA ELLIOTT and GERALD CLARK, Ad Hoc Young Teachers’ Forum
Terrace Suite
Saturday
7.30-9.30 a.m. / BREAKFAST
Reflections Restaurant
9.00 a.m. / Registration
Conference Centre
10.00 a.m. / Formal opening of conference
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
ACT LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL
STEVE SINNOTT, General Secretary, NUT
Conference Centre 1
Saturday (Cont’d.)
10.45 a.m. / COFFEE and EXHIBITION
Conference Centre 2
11.15 a.m. / Keynote Speaker
ORGANISING YOUNG WORKERS: EXPERIENCES OF PCS
ELEISHAMULLANE, Young Members’ Organiser, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)
Conference Centre 1
12.00 p.m. / Task Group A
Building the NUT’s Young Teachers’ Section
(see plotter for details)
12.45 p.m. / LUNCH
2.00 p.m. / Workshops: Band 1
(see plotter for details)
3.00 p.m. / TEA and EXHIBITION
3.30 p.m. / Keynote Speaker
WORKING FOR TEACHERS: THE COMMONWEALTH TEACHERS’ RECRUITMENT PROTOCOL
ROLI DEGAZON-JOHNSON, Education Adviser, Commonwealth Secretariat
Conference Centre 1
4.15 p.m. / Task Group B
International Development : It’s Union Work
(see plotter for details)
5.00 p.m. / WINE RECEPTION AND EXHIBITION
The NUT President welcomes young teachers
Judy Moorhouse, NUT President
Conference Centre 2
5.30 p.m. / Work/Life Balance in Action
Options:

• watching Wimbledon
• anticipating World Cup
• a swim
• a guided walk
• a mini-tour of the mansion
• or your own relaxation option

Saturday (Cont’d.)
7.00-9.00 p.m. / DINNER
Reflections Restaurant
9.30-12.30 a.m. / PARTY WITH DJ
Terrace Suite
Sunday
8.00-9.30 a.m. / BREAKFAST
10.00 a.m. / Workshops: Band 2
(see plotter for details)
11.00 a.m. / COFFEE
11.30 a.m. / Keynote Speaker
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: WHAT CAN TRADE UNIONISTS DO?
OWEN TUDOR, Head of the EU and International Development Department, TUC
Conference Centre 1
12.15 p.m. / Headlines and Goodbyes
1.00 p.m. / END OF CONFERENCE
1.00-2.00 p.m. / LUNCH
The Conference chairs and task group leaders were members of the AdHocYoung Teachers’ Forum.

YTFC REPORT (JULY 2006)_RB121 October 2018

Created: 8 August 2006/JM

Revised: 22 August 2006/CS

REPORT OF THE YOUNG TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE: 7-9 JULY 2006

The Young Teachers’ Forum Conference was attended by 112participantseither nominated by their local associations or attending as individual NUT members.

All participants were qualified teacher members of the NUT, aged 35 or under.

The conference was held at the NUT’s residential education and training centre, StokeRochford Hall in Lincolnshire.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

Chairs: Kendra Deacon and Nicholas Wigmore, Ad Hoc Young Teachers’ Forum.

The Chairs gave a very warm welcome to participants and expressed their pleasure at the excellent attendance.

This was a very important occasion as it was the first fully fledged NUT Young Teachers’ Conference. The theme for the Conference Act Local, Think Global was wide ranging and challenging with something to interest everyone.

The Chairs noted that there would be a mix of people present. Some would be new to teaching and new to the NUT. Others would be old hands with possibly ten years teaching experience. The Chairs welcomed this diversity which would enrich the Conference.

NUT Annual Conference had agreed in 2005 to set up a young teachers section in the NUT. As a first step, had Conference called for “a forum conference in the autumn term of 2005”. The resulting November forum conference and the present July 2006 conference had been planned by an Ad Hoc Young Teachers’ Forum consisting of two representatives from all nine regions in England and two representatives from Wales. Some members of the Forum had acted as the Young Teachers’ Planning Group and had decided on the conference theme Act Local, Think Global.

ACT LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: STEVE SINNOTT, NUT GENERAL SECRETARY

Steve Sinnott, NUT General Secretary welcomed the creation of the NUT’s Young Teachers’ Section. He highlighted some Union initiatives and achievements. He welcomed the choice of an international theme for the Conference, ‘Act Local, Think Global’, as international issues were a key theme for the NUT.

Appendix 1 provides a full account of Steve Sinnott’s contribution.

ORGANISING YOUNG WORKERS: EXPERIENCE OF PCS

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ELEISHA MULLANE, YOUNG MEMBERS’ ORGANISER, PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES UNION

Chairs: Emma Bennett and Ceri Eastwood, Ad Hoc Young Teachers’ Forum.

Eleisha explained the history of the PCS Young Members’ Network which had been established following a resolution of PCS National Conference in 2003. She emphasised the importance of asking young people to be involved in the union and to give them confidence through training and mentoring. The key was to identify issues that were important to young workers and to make the union relevant.

Appendix 2provides a full account of Eleisha Mullane’s contribution.

TASK GROUP A: BUILDING THE NUT’S YOUNG TEACHERS’ SECTION 

Ten task groups met as regional or Wales groups.

The groups were each led by a member of the Young Teachers’ Planning Group. An Executive member was present in some of the groups. A member of staff took notes in each of the groups.

Regional/Wales Group / Task Group Leader / Executive Member
A1 / Northern / Nicholas Wigmore
A2 / North West / Sam Daniels
A3 / Yorkshire/Midland / Ceri Eastwood
A4 / Midlands / Alicia McElhill / Roger King
A5 / Eastern / Kendra Deacon
A6 / South East / Hannah Forder
A7 / South West / Emma Bennett
A8 / London East / Gerald Clark / Dave Harvey
A9 / London West / James Looker
A10 / Wales / Sasha Elliott

The group task was to consider two themes.

The NUT has a young teachers’ section! What do you think are its most important achievements? / 
Ideas for building the young teachers’ section at local level. / 

Points made have been grouped into key issues. Sometimes direct quotations have been used.

1. ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE YOUNG TEACHERS’ SECTION

The NUT was facilitating a voice for young teachers by:

• realising the need to give young teachers a voice;

• listening to and empowering young teachers;

• having the November 2005 Forum Conference so quickly after the Annual Conference resolution;

• giving young teachers an experience of the Union through this Conference;

• promoting the Young Teachers’ Section in The Teacher;

• setting up the Ad Hoc Young Teachers’ Forum to represent young teachers within the Union; and

• establishing an Advisory Committee for Young Teachers.

Networking was being achieved through:

• being able to meet colleagues locally, regionally and nationally;

• providing opportunities for young teachers to get together; and

• developing links between primary and secondary colleagues.

The profile of young teachers was being raised by:

• promoting a young face for the Union;

• promoting the Young Teachers’ Section in The Teacher; and

• encouraging the presence of young teachers in the NUT.

The Young Teachers’ Conference:

• was itself the most important achievement of the Young Teachers’ Section;

• had an open feel, that is, comfortable and not threatening;

• encouraged participation;

• was not top down and its theme was decided by young teachers themselves;

• was a good initiative; and

• is a brilliant idea as people get to meet and share ideas”.

NUT Annual Conference 2006 had witnessed:

• the young teachers’ reception;

• the attendance of more young teachers as delegates and observers;

• more young teachers speaking in debates; and

• “was a definite improvement on pre-2005 Annual Conference”.

Knowledge of the Union was being built by:

• diminishing any stereotypical views of the Union;

• providing an opportunity to learn what the NUT does for young teachers;

• enabling young teachers to find out more about the Union;

• raising awareness of young teachers’ rights; and

• spreading the word that the NUT was trustworthy and reliable.

NUT policy was being promoted by:

• providing an opportunity for young teachers to engage with NUT policies; and

• raising awareness among young teachers.

Involvement and activism were being encouraged by:

• getting more young teachers involved; and

• being aware that young teachers were interested in activism.

Support for young teachers was being developed by:

• letting young teachers know that they were valued members of the NUT;

• asking members about their needs and their ideas;

• helping to keep the NUT alive;

• building morale through sharing ideas and experiences; and

• publicising the Young Teachers’ Section.

Links with other unions were being developed, for example:

• through the TUC; and

• with PCS by having a speaker at the Young Teachers’ Conference.

The Future:

• “The greatest achievement of the Young Teachers’ Section will be for it to make itself obsolete, that is, for so many young teachers to be active and involved that it no longer needs to exist!”

1. IDEAS FOR BUILDING THE YOUNG TEACHERS’ SECTION AT LOCAL LEVEL

NUT local associations could ‘spread the word’ by:

• making personal contact with young teachers and inviting them to meetings;

• “BAF – bring a friend”;

• mailing all young teachers in the local association to invite them to events;

• setting up local networks; and

• organising regional conferences and a Wales conference.

Communication could be improved by:

• issuing a termly newsletter briefly highlighting events including when/where/ what and how to book;

• emailing newsletters as well as sending as hard copy;

• improving online communications such as concise emails, text and chat forums;

• encouraging local associations to be consistent in keeping members informed about meetings and functions;

• setting up a notice board for young teachers on the NUT website;

• establishing a dedicated internet forum, email list and network support; and

• visiting schools and meeting all NQTs.

Knowledge of the NUT could be increased by:

• providing information about rights, Union benefits and NUT training;

• dispelling myths about unions, concentrating on positive aspects rather than unions as trouble makers;

• producing a ‘bluffer’s guide’ to the NUT;

• distributing a fact sheet about the Union so that members know it offers more than just insurance cover;

• explaining why the NUT is different and better;

• letting young teachers know ‘what’s in it for me?’;

• publicising NUT campaigns successes;

• being positive about the NUT to other young teachers; and

• letting young teachers know about the NUT’s CPD Programme.

Young teachers’ involvement could be encouraged by:

• having a young teachers’ officer on the local committee;

• sending out information about local contacts and how to get involved;

• demystifying the NUT;

• breaking down age gaps with maturer members mentoring newer and younger members;

• issuing questionnaires to young teachers, finding why or why not they come to meetings and to identify themes;

• producing local calendars of meetings;

• giving clear information about childcare provision;

• encouraging more young teachers to be school or college representatives;

• organising team building activities for Union members subsidising at local level; and

• making meetings more interesting, for example, with a quiz or guest speaker.

Relevant issues could be identified by:

• setting up local meetings with a focus of interest to young teachers such as behaviour management;

• publicising campaigns such as Show Racism the Red Card;

• recognising the motivating effect of other successful campaigns;

• giving more prominence to successful campaigns; and

• inviting high profile speakers to meetings.

Local associations could facilitate the social aspect of NUT membership by:

• organising more free socials ‘with booze’;

• holding regional andWales based social events;

• organising young teachers’ receptions; and

• holding barbecues.

Links with student members could be developed by:

• increasing the NUT’s presence and profile at local PGCE events;

• targeting student teachers who are being bullied or pressurised;

• inviting student teachers to meetings; and

• holding meetings for student qualifiers.

WORKSHOPS – BAND 1

Participants were able to choose one of the workshops from Band 1:

• Demystifying the NUT – Patrick Ginnelly, Regional Officer, South East

• The Education and Inspections Bill – John Bangs, Assistant Secretary, Education and Equal Opportunities

• Education, the Law and You – Peter Sargent, Regional Officer, South West

• International Development Union Education: A Taster – Ruth Blunt, Principal Officer, Recruitment and Training, Membership and Communications

• Learning Representatives: What Do They Do? – Andrew Parry Williams, Principal Officer, ICT Skills for Teachers Programme, Membership and Communications

• The NUT: Meeting Teachers Learning and Career Needs – Tajinder Gill, Professional Assistant, Professional Development, Education and Equal Opportunities

• TSN: Looking After Your Wellbeing – Victoria Irvine, Director of Communications, Teacher Support Network (TSN)

• Workload and Working Time – Rhoda Andruchow, Regional Officer, Yorkshire/Midland

WORKING FOR TEACHERS: THE COMMONWEALTH TEACHERS’ RECRUITMENT PROTOCOL

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ROLI DEGAZON-JOHNSON, EDUCATION ADVISER, COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT

Chairs: Sasha Elliott and Hannah Forder, Ad Hoc Young Teachers’ Forum

Roli Degazon-Johnson explained the role of the Commonwealth Secretariat. In particular, she talked about the importance of the Commonwealth Teachers Recruitment Protocol in securing the rights of teachers internationally.

Appendix 3 provides a full account of Roli Degazon-Johnson’s contribution.

TASK GROUP B: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: IT’S UNION WORK

Eight task groups met.

The groups were each led by a member of the Young Teachers’ Planning Group. An Executive member was present in some of the groups. A member of staff took notes in each of the groups.

Task Group Leader / ExecutiveMember
B1 / Nicholas Wigmore
B2 / Sasha Elliott / Dave Harvey
B3 / Ceri Eastwood
B4 / James Looker
B5 / Kendra Deacon
B6 / Hannah Forder
B7 / Emma Bennett / Roger King
B8 / Gerald Clark / Bill Greenshields

The group task was to consider how to convince NUT members that the NUT should be working on international development issues.

Points made have been grouped into key issues. Sometimes direct quotations have been used.

Teachers

• There are more and more teachers and NUT members who are living and working in the UK who need support.

• The NUT can campaign for standardisation of working conditions across the world.

• The NUT can inform overseas teachers of their rights.

• The NUT can work towards the recognition of teaching qualifications between countries.

• The NUT can protect potential overseas trained members.

• Teachers in developing countries may come to work in the UK, which is an investment in the UK’s education system.

• The NUT is able to protect the rights of teachers from all over the world in a very practical way.

• There is an increased ebb and flow of teachers working in different countries.

• The NUT needs to raise the profile of teachers.

Global Citizenship

• Union members need to be good global citizens and have a morale duty to work with international teachers.

• Internationalism can help to tackle problems arising from globalisation.

• Supporting and learning from others on an international level can enrich teachers and pupils.

• The NUT can promote global citizenship and assist disadvantaged schools and teachers.

• The NUT can promote sustainable development.

• Schools are international communities.

• The NUT can work through the Global Campaign for Education.

• The NUT can encourage parity of esteem across the world.

• Work on international development can have benefits for citizenship as well as social and cultural benefits in schools and classrooms.

• The NUT can promote an inclusive society.

• “It is our moral obligation”.

Sharing Good Practice

• “Professional development – we can learn from other countries – and give them help too!”

• The NUT is well established and can share good practice with other countries which are less experienced.

• Developing countries can share experiences and practice with ‘developed’ countries, for example, through teacher exchange.

• International development work offers opportunities for personal and professional development through experiencing different cultures.

• International guest speakers can be invited to meetings.

• The NUT can work with organisations that promote good practice such as the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT).

• International development is a two way process.

• It is important to share good practice across the world.

Education

• Teachers can strengthen their teaching methods through overseas international work.

• Education is a global issue.

• “We should do our bit”.

• The NUT can help to tackle inadequate infrastructures in schools.

• International development is an educational issue.

• The NUT can raise the importance of education worldwide.

Children

• Children come to Britain from many countries.

• The NUT can help to work towards the UN target of all children in the world receiving primary education by 2015.

• The Union cares for children globally not just locally.

Trade Unionism

• The NUT is rightly concerned for other trade unionists rights globally.

• International development work can raise the profile of the NUT.

• Members can be proud of the Union’s international work.

• “There are international agreed mechanisms in place and the NUT needs to be part of that.”

• Trade unionism is international.

• Globally the trade union movement is active in promoting education and peace.

• “Solidarity!”

• Trade unionists in other countries sometimes face life and death issues.

THE NUT PRESIDENT WELCOMES YOUNG TEACHERS