schools
News and articles about work, policy and workers' and students' struggles in education around the world.
Notes on working at a sixth form college library, London 2005-2007
Between 2005-2007 a member of the libcom group worked term-time in the library at a Sixth Form College in London. This article/interview documents his attempts to organise his workplace and touches on some wider issues around working in education in the UK.
So where did you work? What was it like?
Since some of my friends are still working there, and I hope there is still some organising going on, I won't identify the college directly, but some background information would be useful.
First day of school cancelled in Palestine due to strikes
Palestinian children were due to begin their first day back at school on Saturday, however in the West Bank, school was suspended due to a teachers' union strike.
The teachers are protesting a government decision to reduce weekends to one day per week and end having Saturday as a day-off. In Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, Ma'an's correspondent reported that the streets were teeming with students returning from school after finding their teachers absent from the classrooms.
UNISON education workers accept pay offer
In a UNISON consultation, only four of fifty-three colleges reject 2% and 1% sequenced pay increases. Offer is "not quite bad enough," national officer comments.
Workers in England's further education and sixth form colleges have voted to accept the employers' 2007/8 pay offer.
UNISON's consultation with members saw 53 colleges respond, with only four rejecting the offer of a 2% rise from 1 August 2007 and a further 1% increase from 1 February 2008, applying to all salaries and allowances.
Dividing and conquering the working class with drug testing: Hawaii teachers, coercion and a failure of working class solidarity
This is a piece written by an anonymous teacher in Hawaii in response to the teachers' union accepting a contract with mandatory drug testing in exchange for a raise.
In a historic blow to workers’ rights, and working class solidarity in Hawaii, the members of the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) have been coerced into voting to relinquish basic rights to gain a needed pay raise. The contract they agreed to provides for 4% raises over each of the next two years, with other supplements amounting to an 11% pay raise over two years.
Israel: teachers strike over pay and conditions
Teachers in Haifa and Tel Aviv have voted to take strike action after the collapse of negotiations over pay and conditions.
Teachers plan to launch a full strike today, classes on Sunday were cancelled except for those students preparing for exams.
Mayotte: Police arrest striking teachers
Local authorities are trying to break the long-running strike by arresting strikers, rather than by honouring promises made to staff.
At least five people, including the head of the CGT local, were arrested last week. The arrests followed the decision of secondary teachers to join the strike. Ironically the unions had succeeded in persuading teachers to stop crippling blockades just days before the arrests.
Mayotte: Teachers strike over pay and conditions
Unions (FO and CGT) in Mayotte have ordered teachers to step down their protests after picketing led to massive disruption across the Island.
Mayotte, a small island off the coast of Madagascar is an overseas French department (DOM) as a result it is offically a part of France.
More Iranian teachers arrested
45 teachers of the province of Hamadan were arrested on Sunday April 8th 2007 and then transferred to an unknown location.
According to the Teachers’ Trade Association of Iran’s website and other reliable sources, about 30 of the arrested teachers were arrested in the office the teachers’ Trade Association of Hamadan and a number of other educators were arrested in their homes and other places; this included all members of the board of directors of the association in Hamadan.
Argentina: Striking teacher killed by police
Fellow strikers blocked roads across the province on Friday and a national general strike has been called for Monday by the teaching unions after a protester was killed by a tear gas grenade.
Carlos Fuentealba,41, was killed on Thursday night after being hit in the head by the gas grenade, fired into a crowd of protesters by police.
Academy site occupied in Brent
Protestors have occupied Wembley Park sports field in an attempt to prevent the construction of a City Academy.
The protestors, including teachers, parents and sports ground users have set up tents on the field with the intention of staying there permanently until the proposal is dropped. Funded by the DfES and private sponsor Andrew Rosenfield, the Academy was approved in January by Brent Council and would sit on what is currently Bridge Road Recreation Ground.
