Northern Conference 2012 Resolutions Passed

Transcription

1 1. Conference condemns the Department of Education s handling of the Education Budget over the past year, the turmoil caused by the on-going confusion over budgets, and the consequent additional stress and workload on principals, governors and school staffs in redrafting schools budgets. Conference calls on Northern Committee to lobby the Department of Education to: a) ensure that schools final budgets are made available by 1 December each year to allow school management to make informed decisions on staffing at the earliest stage possible; b) eliminate the misuse of education funds by non-teaching organisations, who continue to drain large resources from front line services; c) continue to oppose further cuts to education funding, especially those which would lead to pay cuts, job losses, increased class sizes or school closures; d) continue to engage with other trade unions and local communities to resist this unwarranted and unprecedented attack on education. 2. Conference notes with concern the apparent reduction, from the six indicators to three, in the Bain Report as to what constitutes a viable school; and the increase from 500, as recommended by Bain, to 1200 pupils for a viable post-primary school. Conference notes the devastating effects that these changes may have on small schools, particularly those in rural areas and their local communities. Conference calls on Northern Committee to: a) lobby the department of Education to ensure that INTO has a voice on any Area Based Planning Boards; b) consider favourably, supporting local communities who may engage in campaigns to keep their local school open where such support does not conflict with the interests of INTO members; c) vigorously oppose the rationalisation agenda, in particular its negative impact on rural schools, which can only further negatively impact whole communities; d) engage with the Department of Education and other interested stakeholders to ensure all proposed school rationalisations are thoroughly future-proofed. 1

2 3. Conference is concerned at the possible level of redundancies and school closures over the next five years due to cuts in educational funding. Conference calls on Northern Committee to ensure that: a) increases in class sizes as a result of redundancies and school closures is vigorously opposed; b) agreed procedures for handling redundancies are rigorously followed; c) they work to ensure that the redundancy package is at least on a par with those offered to Education and Library Board staff. 4. Conference condemns the unjust raid on the Northern Ireland Teachers Pension Scheme that will result in teachers working longer, paying more and receiving less. Conference instructs the Northern Committee to continue campaigning with our sister unions in the NITC and the wider Trade Union movement to resist these negative changes, such a campaign to include, if necessary, action up to and including strike action. 5. Conference condemns the continued pay cut in real terms that a 1% rise in teachers salaries represents over the next two years. Conference instructs the Northern Committee in concert with the NITC to campaign for a fair and equitable increase in teachers salaries, such a campaign to include if necessary, action up to and including strike action. 6. Conference, whilst welcoming the publication of the report of the SEN and Inclusion Review group, notes with concern: the plan to increase the duties and responsibilities of SENCOs (Learning Support Co-ordinators); the failure to address the workload and bureaucratic demands on teachers and schools; the failure to secure the confidence of parents and teachers; the failure to ensure that provision based on need is placed at the centre of SEN policy. Conference calls upon the Department of Education to pause the roll out of the recommendations until such time as agreement has been reached with stakeholders on how the proposed model will be funded, the 2

3 allocation/distribution of roles and responsibilities and a full and proper capacity building programme has been put in place. Conference further demands that the proposed PLPs are teacher-, pupil- and parent-friendly. Conference notes with concern the changing levels and type of support offered to teachers struggling to meet the needs of pupils with SEN. Conference calls on Northern Committee to engage with all stakeholders to ensure resources are directed effectively to support teachers. 7. Conference commends the coordinated efforts of INTO primary principals to resist the reintroduction of any form of testing to facilitate academic selection. Conference calls on Northern Committee to continue to work to end academic selection at Conference notes the on-going review of the ETI complaints procedure and is concerned that there is currently no facility to appeal the overall outcome of a school inspection. Conference calls on Northern Committee: a) through the NITC, to work to ensure that a mechanism to formally challenge the findings of a school inspection, before it is published, is built into the procedure; b) to seek to ensure that ETI does everything it can to engender increased levels of confidence in the proposed procedure such as including an element of independent oversight at the internal investigation stage; c) to ensure that all ETI visits are formally planned. 9. Conference notes the progress this year on severance packages and calls on Northern Committee to negotiate with the Department of Education to provide an affordable early retirement scheme for teachers which would allow them to plan for retirement and create posts for unemployed and newly qualified teachers. 3

4 10. Conference congratulates INTO members on their response to the campaign of industrial action against the savage cuts in the education budget and the proposed changes to teachers pensions. Conference calls on Northern Committee to review and assess the effect of the present industrial action and provide clarity and direction on future actions, to ensure that members are kept informed of the latest developments, with particular thought given to the efficient use of ICT to ensure that it achieves maximum effect and enables our union to achieve our aim and protect our members pensions. Conference instructs Northern Committee to continue the campaign and, if necessary, to enhance industrial action until there is a fair and just resolution of these issues. 11. Conference is aghast at the fiasco over the InCAS assessment scheme and that we are facing future computerised assessments, which have little bearing on children s academic achievement. Conference demands that Northern Committee to take the necessary steps to persuade the Department of Education to suspend the legislative requirements to have Computerised Adaptive Testing in schools until the full suite of new assessment arrangements are agreed. 12. Conference welcomes the Agreements on Cover and Workload. Conference: a) calls upon Northern Committee to monitor closely the implementation of these Agreements; b) instructs Northern Committee to challenge those school leaders and Governors, in a timely and robust fashion, who seek to ignore or subvert these agreements. 13. Conference is concerned at how ICT Accreditation has surreptitiously become part of the teacher s workload and calls on Northern Committee to survey members opinion on the implementation of the process in schools, with particular regard to workload, resourcing, training and appropriateness of levels, and take appropriate actions to address adverse outcomes. 4

5 14. Conference welcomes the organisation of a Maracycle from Belfast to INTO Congress in Killarney at Easter this year in commemoration of Frank Bunting, our late Northern Secretary. Conference commends the effort to raise much-needed funds for cancer research and calls on members, branches and districts to contribute generously to this worthy cause. REMITTED 15. Conference notes with concern the apparent ambiguity in paragraph 3.2 of the new workload agreement re.1265 hours and calls on Northern Committee to ensure that the workload agreement makes it clear that 1265 hours is the maximum number of hours that a teacher may be available to work. 16. Conference notes the purchase of 24 College Gardens by the INTO. Conference instructs the Northern Committee to use this opportunity to develop Conference and Training facilities within the building. Conference further suggests that the Conference and Training rooms be named after past Northern Secretaries of the INTO. 5