- Conference
- 2016 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2016
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that on 18th May 2016 the Government’s proposals to force maintained schools to become academies in England were announced alongside limits on local authorities’ role in school improvement and a revised national funding formula for schools. The stated aim in these proposals is for all schools to become academies with the Secretary of State acquiring powers to force schools to become academies in those local authorities she decides are not able to provide viable support or, in her view, are underperforming. It also aims to speed up the process by which schools become academies.
These proposals alter those in the previously published White Paper ‘Education Excellence Everywhere’ by not directly forcing all schools to become academies by 2022. However, it is clear the Tory government aims for the same outcome by forcing local authorities to become ever less relevant in supporting schools. They even propose to remove the role of local authorities in supporting excluded students.
UNISON remains concerned that school underfunding is part of this government’s policy and will lead to falling standards. No new funding was provided to schools for changes to employment costs introduced by the government from April 2016. The government also reduced substantially the Education Support Grant to local authorities. A national funding formula for schools, without increased overall funding, will lead to further significant cuts in many schools throughout the country particularly, but not exclusively, where there has been a democratic decision to prioritise education spending. Where there has historically been significant investment in schools, this has been shown to have a major impact on raising standards particularly in inner city areas. Robbing ‘Peter to pay Paul’ will lead to a major loss of jobs amongst school support staff.
UNISON is further concerned that forcing schools to become academies is an ideologically driven policy that removes democratic accountability and community involvement. Widespread opposition from parents, governors, schools and local authorities to the original White Paper forced the government to alter their plan. The Tory-dominated LGA is still opposed to the new proposal. There is a wide body of evidence regarding the mediocre performance of some academies and multi-academy chains.
The NUT decision to declare a dispute against the threat to jobs, pay, terms and conditions at their Easter conference is currently the subject of an official industrial action ballot that opened on 23 May. If successful there will be action in the summer term (early July) followed by more planned action in the Autumn term.
Academy schools can set their own terms and conditions for staff including school support staff. UNISON and other school workforce unions have reached agreement with the majority of academies to retain national bargaining. However, if a substantial number of schools are forced to become academies then this will undermine the role of the NJC and collective bargaining. UNISON remains committed to national collective bargaining for all school support staff in state funded schools: in the first instance retaining NJC conditions for all.
Conference calls on the local government service group executive to:
1) Mount an immediate campaign explaining why the Bill (Education for All) has the wrong priorities.
a) Work with a wide coalition of unions, communities and organisations to defend state education, local democratic accountability and oppose the worst proposals in the budget and current bill;
b) In particular to oppose moves to convert all maintained schools to academies, potential funding cuts to some areas as a result of a new funding formula and the removal of the parent governor role;
c) Consider as part of such a coalition to call a mass lobby of Parliament, a national demonstration and regional lobbies;
d) Prepare materials for staff and parents and organise public events and activities to mobilise support, and investigate the feasibility of a joint public inquiry to examine the track record of academies.
2) Recognise the threats to jobs, pay, terms and conditions posed by these proposals and, if they are not withdrawn, work with other school unions to explore the possibility of declaring a legal dispute and lawful national action and coordinated strikes in the autumn term, in line with UNISON rules and relevant legislation.