swell party tion being felt? teacher/pupil ratio high.
Education is one of the areas which is suffering most from the Labour Government's cuts in public spending. Red Weekly asked HILDA KEAN, a teacher at Quinton Kynaston School, Westminster, and a candidate in the elections for General Secretary of the Inner London Teachers Association, to explain the effects of these, particularly on women.
• How badly are the cuts in educaThere are now around 2,000 teachers unemoloved in urcaler condon. ane curs are also beginning to affect things like books (some of which have gone up from 75p to £1.50 in a very short period), the number of courses available are being TESLC Cu HuC olactica WOrk Is d owed in lessons in oraer to cur back on expenses. Generally, conditions are deteriorating for both teachers and pupils The Inner London Education Autnonty Is tending not to replac staff who have left, giving the excuse that there is a drop in the role. But they could be using this drop to improve teaching conditions by reducing the - whicn is sul very London's 10,346 primary teachers (overwhelmingly women) are to be reddcea by sou. And in secondary scnoois teachers are losing "free time (i.e. time set aside to prepare classes) because the lack of teachers means that they have to cover other classes. Fighting this can be difficult, because the National Union of Teachers will not ratify any action taken on non-covering in the London • Are these cuts having a particular The majority of teachers are women, who in fact make up two-thirds of the NUT membership. But many of them are part-time, and they're the ones most affected. To get around the Employment гтоеспо acL Dar-ume nours nave been reduced to less than 20, which means that there is no security.
It used to be automatic that if you had a kid, your job would be kept open for you. But this is happening less frequenty now. and it is very rare mat nursery facilities are provided for • What action is being taken against the cuts in education?
So far there is very little co-ordinated action. The 21 October demonstration supportca by mne soum bast Kegion TUC and the NUT was a success, but the NUT has done little to build on that Several local teachers' associations nave set up joint boales witn ouner trade unions to fight the cuts in the public sector. Westminster NUT is calling a meeting supported by the Trades Council against cuts and unemployment. My SCHOOr. DumnOn Anaston. Is taKine act ion on cover, and is calling an all London meeting of teachers to discuss the quesThis is the kind of action we need, but would stress that it must be seer as part of the general fight against the cuts in social expenditure and unemployment which are being enforced by the Our thanks to the following recent contributors to the IMG's £15,000 Fund Drive. May 9.35 22.00 2.00 30.00 o.UU 10.00 14b.EU Birmingham AUEW member 30.00 Edinburgh University IMG 7.00 15.00 Cnarlle 10.00 21.00 14.00 5.9U • What is the NUT's policy on women?
Last year's NUT conference rejected the Working Women's Charter, and Sam Fisher, a Communist Party member of the NUT executive, said that 'the Charter Is only supoored Dy a lunauc nEC 1 the trade union movement"! This is - after al it cot more than 3 million votes at last year's TUC - and many NUT branches branches have adopted and are doing work around the At the Socialist Teachers conference it was decided to try to prioritise a motion on ne working womens charter dl the next NUT conference, especially given that last year's motion got quite a .JOL OI SUDBOM The NUT has set up a working party to prepare a report on Women in the Teaching Profession'. This working party has been badly financed, and the report has not yet appeared. With the increasing attacks on women, waich the inadecvate ser scmmacoo ae Equal Pay Acts in no way combat, we need a Charter which can unite all wOrKIne Class woneH • Will you be fighting for the NUT to support the 'Women and the Cuts' conference called by the Work ing Women's Charter?
My teachers' association has already supported the conference. Many women are employed in te pudnc sector, arte are being particularly hard hit by cuts and unemployment both at home and at work. It is important that we launch a campaign against these attacks of the Labour Government, and women must play a large part in this campaign if it is to be successful. I think the 'Women and the Cuts' conference is a big step in that direction. WOMEN AND THE CUTS LONDON CONFERENCE ON SAT 28 FEBRUARY Sponsorship and donations are being sought from all labour movement and women's organ isations. For further information contact 39 Parkholme Road, London E.8. 01-249 3072.
CONFERENCE CALLED BY THE WORKING WOMEN'S CHARTER IMG journalists 13.00 Bradford IMG 10.00 o. Malnam. 5.00 LSinc aIr -to suie a scottisn centre 50.00 Hillingdon Squatters & Tenants Association S4.UU Brunel University sympathisers 56.00 S. Bennett 5.00 5.00 Cardiff IMG 10.00 Bristo lecture ZU.UU Bristol rail worker ZO.U Brighton IMG 43.U1
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there be many more of you - the address is: Jo-Ann, 97 Caledonian Road, London N.1.