Saturday 28 December 2013

Follow Natalie Bennett and sign the TeacherROAR declaration

It was good to see that Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, has signed the TeacherROAR declaration, as have I.  Most of the demands are Green Party policy:
The teacherROAR movement wants: an educational landscape where teachers are not denigrated and attacked by politicians and in the press; where teachers are praised, encouraged and supported to develop their practice; where education policy is evidence-based and not used as a political football; where the need for social justice and equality is placed at the heart of education policy; where the curriculum is progressive, broad, balanced and fit for the 21st Century; where learning is child-centered; where we are developing children to their full potential in all areas and not simply preparing them for work; where education is not treated as a marketable product with customers, consumers and products; where our children are not over-tested and among the most stressed in the western world; where our pay and conditions are improving and not under constant attack; and where teachers are respected and trusted professionals whose opinion is valued and listen to by politicians.

We the undersigned declare ourselves part of the teacherROAR movement and pledge to fight for a better, fairer education system.
To add your signature and comment follow this LINK

A parent who signed the declaration commented:
As a parent, I'd like my children to be taught by people who know that they are respected, supported, and listened to. I'd like my children to be tested, when they are tested, in ways which put their needs before the government's political need for league tables. I want my children to be prepared to live lives as engaged citizens, not passive consumers, and I want the education system to be ringfenced to protect it from the whims of successive Secretaties of State and whatever political or personal agendas they may bring with them.
A teacher wrote:
Teachers are facing a concerted campaign of vilification and bullying. This government (with the support of many in the media, right-wing think tanks etc) is determined to atomise and demoralise teachers. They want to make us cheaper to hire and fire, because this will render us more exploitable and education more profitable. Teachers must stand together to resist these attacks, and we must support anyone else opposed to the increasing privatisation and commodification of the public sector.

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