Letter to parents from NUT / NASUWT

The Head teacher at Worthing High School refused distribution of this letter, from the striking teachers, to parents, explaining why they are taking industrial action tomorrow.

Here it is in full:

Dear Parents/Carers

Members of the NUT and NASUWT teachers unions will be taking strike action on Wednesday 11^th July 2012.  This is a result of the school’s governing body voting on Thursday 30^th May to become an Academy. 

We ask for your support for our action but feel it is important to explain briefly why we are doing this.

The Governors, although faced with 91% of teachers voting in favour of strike action in indicative ballots, voted to press ahead with the application for conversion despite such resounding opposition.  The reason for staff opposition was not explored, leaving teachers with little option but to go ahead with the formal ballot process.

Academies are publicly funded but privately run schools outside of the Local Authority.  The loss of the Local Authority could have a detrimental affect for staff, parents and students alike.  All the TUC affiliated education unions and the TUC itself is opposed to schools being run in this way and believe that this Government wants to privatise the management of education as they do with for example, the NHS, Royal Mail and the prisons.

Even though Worthing High School has applied to become a ‘converter’ Academy, there is no evidence that Academies benefit students or get better examination results.  The teachers are concerned for the future of all students and staff in all schools that change to Academy status.

The Government has overspent on converting Academies and free schools by £600 million and there is no guarantee that the short term ‘bribe’ to get schools to become Academies will continue, rather the reverse.  All schools and Academies will receive the same funding from April next year.  In fact there has been an overpayment of more than £120 million to Academies, with some having to pay this back this month.  The first ‘for profit’ company has been agreed to run a free school in Suffolk.  Others will follow.  Should private companies profit from ‘publicly funded’ schools when the profit could be used to further benefit students’ education?

Despite the level of opposition from staff, parents, and the community, the Chair of Governors has claimed a ‘robust’ consultation process. The application can be withdrawn at any point up until 80% of the way through, and there is still the opportunity to carry out much needed investigation.  We strongly urge the Governors to reconsider its application and undertake a thorough, balanced and informed consultation, without bias, taking into account both sides of the argument.

The date for strike action was delayed to ensure that the exam season had ended, enrichment week and intake day were not affected so as to cause the least amount of disruption to the students that we teach.  Teachers and staff work incredibly hard to achieve the best results for students at Worthing High School.  Exam results of 2011 are a testament to that commitment.  We therefore do not take strike action lightly, but feel our hands have been forced.

We urge you to support us by writing to the governors via the Clerk to the Governors, c/o Worthing High School.

Yours faithfully

NUT and NASUWT unions at Worthing High School