Striking back

THE NEU has donated £20,000 to help establish a National Education Museum in Portsmouth, the birthplace of free education.

Artefacts including Victorian school furniture, exercise books from the 1930s and trade union banners are already available to view online. But museum trustees, who include four former NEU executive members, are raising money to house the collection in the city where 18th century teacher John Pounds taught some of the poorest children and inspired the Ragged Schools movement.

Museum trustee Amanda Martin, NEU president 2019-20, said she was “delighted” her home city had been chosen.

Fellow trustee Jerry Glazier, who until he stood down in August after 37 years was the longest serving executive member, said the union’s donation was “a big boost”.

Past presidents Hank Roberts and Anne Swift are also trustees.

Hank, whose idea the museum was, said it would offer “a place to learn the history of education and share ideas for its future”, as well as celebrating the role of unions in ensuring education was available to all.

n Visit nationaleducationmuseum.uk

MEMBERS at two independent schools have won their battles to remain in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS).

Staff at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire took two of five planned days of strike action in June over what NEU reps described as a “direct attack on working conditions”.

Plans at Leicester High School for Girls to leave the TPS have been put on hold after members threatened to strike, in a campaign led by two news reps.

Senior regional officer for the East Midlands Ian Marrey said the proposal at Leicester High had come on the back of a fouryear pay freeze, with the school “increasingly dependent on the goodwill of the staff”.

He added: “Staff have worked collectively and made a change, and the school has had to take note. We know that the threat hasn’t gone away completely, but we won round one.”

n Digital packs of resources to help defend the TPS have been sent to independent sector reps. Join the next Zoom on 23 September from 6-7pm – register at bit.ly/3B4QOjT

STAFF at Alleyn Court Preparatory School in Southend, Essex, have taken six days of strike action, after the employer threatened to leave the TPS and fire and rehire staff on inferior terms and conditions. Labour MP Barry Gardiner, who introduced a private members’ bill on 16 June to end fire and rehire practices, joined them on the picket line. Staff were given a deadline of 23 August to sign the new contracts or face being fired. As Educate went to press, six members were continuing to refuse to sign. NEU regional secretary Paul McLaughlin said it was “deeply regrettable” that the school refused to negotiate with the union. Visit stopfireandrehire.org

THOUSANDS gathered to celebrate London Trans Pride on 26 June. NEU members from across the capital and further afield joined together in a show of solidarity and support, with 11 NEU branch banners on display (pictured above).

Trans staff can still face harassment in their workplaces and, despite progress, sometimes can’t be themselves at work. Non-binary people don’t have legal recognition. During June, the NEU reached out to LGBT+ members via a survey, the full results of which will be released in the autumn. It captured the main barriers which remain for LGBT+ staff and students. But equally, it confirmed that many schools and colleges are working creatively on their curriculum and culture, in the interests of all LGBT+ students.