Hackney Parents

Thanks @HackneyParents for tonight's education mtg. Gr8 commitment from audience to campaign @RescueSchools @RaaRedbridge @OurSchoolsLBWF

Keep up pressure on headteachers and governors not to open the doors to privatisation

Talk to grandparents, friends, family in other constituencies, particularly marginal Tory ones in the shires

Let's spread the word: have conversations with other parents (few people are aware that Hackney stands to lose 20% of its ed. budget)

'Let Kids Be Kids' strike taught us that parents will be concerned about whether teachers are supportive of the action

Support our teachers and build coalitions - if teachers vote to strike, join the picket lines, send emails of support to your class teacher

Local schools (including Stoke Newington School) have been successful in the past in fighting off academisation

Local schools are at the heart of our communities and we can't let them be privatised

Proposed legislation - 'Education for All' - can be killed if we build broad coalition based on community, public ownership, w/ teachers

The govt is also very susceptible to pressure from the 'Mumsnet' lobby

BUT: govt is weak now: climb down on academisation by statute, junior doctors' strike, Brexit all mean this is a good time to take action

LEAs are not allowed to build new schools; free schools can open in places where there are no shortages, competing w/local community schools

There are an abundance of qualified teachers in the UK but a huge number leaving profession, and catastrophic shortage of places for kids

Excessive demands placed on teachers by testing regime: reception teacher spent 60 hours administering baseline tests which were scrapped

this ballot on pay & conditions is referendum about SATs, total chaos and fragmentation in the curriculum, lack of creativity and autonomy

NUT is ballotting teachers now on strike action, ballots due 23 June, action of approved on 5 July

@HackneyParents ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/……

This week the UK is being grilled by a UN Committee on the RIghts of the Child; children's mental health is issue for discussion.

@HackneyParents #sthash.shaw21aK.dpufhttps://newint.org/features/2016/04/01/edu-businesses-impact/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">newint.org/features/2016/…

PISA works w/ Pearson - global testing co. which owns Bridge Int'l ('vertically integrated Academy-in-a-box model, Starbucks-style’ school)