Press Release

Statement on Balls's education speech

23 September 2008

Voice: the union for education professionals has given its reaction to the key pledges to be announced by Education Secretary  Ed Balls at the Labour Party Conference on Wednesday 24 September 2008.

General Secretary Philip Parkin said: "We would welcome action to ensure that teachers receive their guaranteed planning, preparation and assessment time. Tough action is needed to stop the rules being flouted.

"However, the Government must not forget teachers' fellow professionals - teaching assistants.  Many are being abused by schools that require them to undertake tasks, such as cover, that are outside their job description and against government guidance - an issue highlighted at our recent Annual Conference*.

"TAs and other support staff will also be pleased to hear news of progress on the long-awaited and seemingly delayed support staff negotiating committee. It is vital that the new committee is truly independent and representative of all support staff in schools."

Commenting on teaching as a masters-level profession, Philip Parkin said: "Voice is in favour of raising the professional status of teaching and believes that working towards a masters-level profession would be a significant way of achieving this. However, the elements of timing and funding are critical. At our recent Annual Conference, members voted against the Government's current plans for a masters-level profession**."

Commenting generally, Philip Parkin said: "Rather than obsessing about artificial targets, we would like politicians to recognise that schools are not all the same and that pupils are individuals with individual needs who develop at different rates.  Teachers would like to be trusted as professionals and to be given greater responsibility for pupil assessment, following a major overhaul of the unwieldy testing regime.

"I'm also concerned that schools are being required to take on more of the responsibilities that belong to parents; and to provide more of the stability in children’s lives that should be provided by families, blurring the boundaries between education and social service.

"Voice continues to have very serious concerns about the workload implications of so many government initiatives on our members and on members of the Leadership Group in particular.

"I understand that the Government has a desire to effect change, but it has to balance this against the time required for successful implementation and the workload it imposes upon staff who already have full days working with pupils.

"Too many initiatives are being introduced too quickly. Our members tell us that that they are implementing changes for which the groundwork of preparation, training and detail is inadequate. For example, members are saying that they feel under-prepared, under-trained and with too little time to introduce the new Diplomas as they would wish.

"Schools should be able to expect clearly structured plans in place before the introduction of new initiatives. I have to ask the politicians: 'Do you want to do it, or do you want to do it well?'

"I urge Ed Balls to prioritise initiatives and to give schools time to prepare for and implement them properly."