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It was in the 80s and 90s that we last saw policies like Michael Gove's.

Education was underfunded, schools were run down, and teachers were vilified and in short supply. We have come so far since then. It will be a tragedy if Gove is allowed to turn the clock back.

Unfortunately he is not prepared to just stop there. This is a giant experiment in deregulating education, putting our children’s future at risk.

Please support your teachers and schools and join us in telling Michael Gove he is wrong.

1. He has a narrow view of what makes a good education – one that doesn’t include vocational subjects.
2. He constantly runs down our education system and our children’s achievements, despite our country doing well in international league tables – this demoralises our teachers and our children.
3. He has removed the need for schools to employ qualified teachers, and attacks our teachers’ professionalism.
4. He has presided over the unfairness of this year’s GCSEs and refused to do anything to help the 10,000 children given unfair grades.
5. He has done nothing to resist the trebling of tuition fees.
6. Abolition of the EMA has resulted in fewer 16-19 year olds in education. He will have cut post-16 funding by 20% across the lifetime of this Government.
7. He has unpicked many long-standing requirements for school premises, including dropping requirements for minimum temperatures, staffrooms, and minimum ratios for toilets; and he’s reduced the space standards for new schools as well.
8. He has cancelled the modernisation programme for all schools and diverted the money to supporting Free Schools, often in areas which don’t need extra school places.
9. He has cancelled the City Challenge programme which was improving results without privatisation.
10. He wants to end the national teachers’ pay system, putting recruitment and retention of teachers at risk and forcing head teachers and governors to focus on negotiating pay instead of improving standards for students.

Download pdf of ten reasons

Action to defend teachers

NUT members have overwhelmingly supported the call for joint action with the NASUWT on pay and working conditions.

The successful ballot and the united approach of the two unions, representing nine out of ten teachers, provides a fantastic opportunity to put pressure on the Government, improve the working lives of teachers in school and deliver improvements for the young people they teach.

They will be able to focus on what really matters and not be diverted or overburdened by unnecessary activity.

Action short of strike action commenced on 3 October.

The latest advice and details are available below:

• A powerpoint presentation to use in meetings for representatives in England and Wales.
• Guidance on action short of strike action for England, Wales and sixth form colleges
• Commentary for school leaders and governors on how the NUT action will improve education.
• FAQs for the latest answers to all your questions
• Teacher appraisal and observation – read more about the changes to performance management and how the Union is protecting teachers under the new system
• Guidance has been developed for division and association secretaries to assist in building upon the early victories which have been achieved as part of the campaign.

We have already received a number of very positive reports from NUT reps. You can read some of those reports here. Email us your story at reps@nut.org.uk

The General Secretary has written to Michael Gove and Leighton Andrews with details of the Union’s dispute with the Government in England and in Wales and you can read these letters here.

Campaign resources and more information

• NUT-NASUWT joint declaration of intent on protecting teachers and defending education Joint press release, Poster and Joint declaration
• Go here for a video of Christine Blower and Chris Keates launching the joint declaration (28 May 2012)

Distrusting teachers

Click here for an edited list of some of the negative remarks made about teachers by Ministers, Ofsted and the Department for Education over the last few months. Reading this you will see why we need to protect teachers from these insulting announcements.