equality matters

Please let us know your equality characteristics

By telling us more about yourself, we can help you become more engaged, informed and involved in the NUT. Simply check and update your details here. You can follow our quick-step-guide . Read more about the equality characteristics that we monitor.

For information on security, see our Data Protection statement at www.teachers.org.uk/privacy As well as helping us to target appropriate materials to you, the data will feed into anonymous statistical reports which help us identify barriers to participation in our structures. Information that you provide us will remain strictly confidential.

Windrush statement

From Windrush to Trump: understanding racism in the UK

The NEU (NUT Section) has written a briefing paper which outlines why Trump’s visit to the UK is yet another point in the continuum of racism. It give information about key points in history relevant to understanding the threads of racist abuse, attacks, hostile language and behaviour that Black people have experienced and which continues today. We hope members can use it all or parts of it on social media, discussions or in the classroom.

Please also see the statement that the NUT Executive have passed in support of the Windrush Generation. To see the full statement please click here.

Sexism in Schools

Sexism in Schools

“It’s just everywhere!” – that’s what students and teachers in our survey on sexism in schools told us. Sexism is an issue for every school in every community. That is why it requires a commitment from all of us to make change happen. Schools and the government need to listen to both girls and boys-and make their experiences our starting point. Let’s empower students, leaders and teachers to work together within a whole school approach to make change happen.

Find out how you can get your school involved here.

Blair Peach Award

The Blair Peach Award is awarded at Annual Conference to give recognition to members who have made exemplary contributions to their school or association or division’s work on equality and diversity. Daniel Kebede was the winner in 2017 for his tireless campaigning on anti-racism. Find out more about Daniel’s work here.

There is so much local equality campaigning and activity going on in the Union and we want to hear about it. Nominate your local activists and campaigners and make sure their work is shared with others and rightly celebrated.

Nominations for 2018 closed on 15th December 2017.

New guidance for EU nationals

The Government recently updated its guidance on the status of EU nationals following the triggering of Article 50. The guidance, issued on 7 April 2017, is available as a new information page at GOV.UK and may be accessed here. The revised guidance replaces the statement issued in July 2016.

The unions (NUT, ATL and NAHT) have also received a reply to their letter to Justine Greening urging the Government to protect the status of EU teachers already in the UK. The letter to the Secretary of State and her reply may be found here.

Barriers report: the impact of racism on BME teachers

Over 1000 Black teachers shared their stories of everyday school experiences in a survey and focus group research carried out by the Runnymede Trust, commissioned by the NUT. The Report is available to download and copies can be obtained by emailing equality@nut.org.uk. For further information about the research and details of the findings go here

In March this year we sent a letter to MPs with a copy of our report. We asked them to share the report and any good practice happening in their area to address racism in schools. Alongside the report we have produced this summary of the findings.

Breaking the Mould: challenging gender stereotypes

The NUT worked for two years with five primary schools to consider how ‘traditional’ gender stereotypes could be challenged in nursery and primary classrooms. We have published a series of resources, which are available here.

The School Census

Care, don’t share project

In the spring of 2018 the NEU and other stakeholders successfully persuaded the government to cease its collection of pupil nationality, country of birth and proficiency in English data. But the fight against excessive data collection and unwarranted information sharing is far from over. The DfE and other government departments continue to collect and share huge quantities of data, including children’s data, for purposes which are not always transparent. Liberty is currently conducting research to reveal the scale of data sharing in the UK and to highlight the impact of this on people, particularly the most vulnerable in society. The information gathered will be used to lobby policy makers to support a ‘firewall’ between public services and the Home Office.

What you can do:

If you are interested in taking part in the study visit the Liberty website for more information. Please also share this with parents and pupils who may be interested in taking part.

Challenging racism

The NUT has a series of resources available to support schools and teachers to challenge racism, including some produced in partnership with the Show Racism the Red Card, the campaign that uses top footballers to educate against racism.

Education and Extremism – guidance on Prevent

Untitled Document

This advice and guidance on the Prevent strategy for members in England and Wales includes practical suggestions about steps that you can take in your school/college towards discussing difficult, complex or controversial issues openly and safely.

It also includes information about the Prevent duty statutory guidance, school inspection and useful resources for teachers.

Welcoming Refugee Children to Your School

The NEU-NUT Section has created a hub for refugee teaching resources, booklists for primary and secondary teachers and useful websites which have been developed, used and shared by teachers for teachers

£35K Earnings threshold for non-EU citizens settling in the UK

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, says that from April 2016 teachers from outside the EU who have stayed here as Tier 2 visa holders since 6 April 2011 must leave the country after 6 years unless they are earning at least £35,000 or are on the shortage occupation list (i.e. Maths/Science secondary school teachers).

The NUT wants the Government to rethink its policy, particularly in the light of the teacher shortage crisis.

What you can do to help:

Ask your MP to raise the issue in Parliament and with the Home Secretary.