Press Release

Schools Action Plan

9 June 2006

Commenting on press reports about Ed Balls’ announcement, due tomorrow, on the ‘poorest performing secondary schools’, Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said;

“While at long last the Government appears to have recognised that it is better to provide support and resources to schools in the toughest areas, I cannot understand the logic of saying that 29% of pupils with 5 GCSE A-C represents failure and 31% signifies success. I urge him to drop the phrase ‘poorest performing schools’. It is unfair and inaccurate. Very many have good inspection reports.

“If Ed Balls is to provide meaningful support to the 638 secondary schools he has identified he has to lift the threat of school closure for failing to meet arbitrary targets.

“No head teacher or teacher mindful of their career will join a National Challenge school if they think it will be closed and turned into an Academy in the following year.

“We have to make sure that teachers working in these schools will do so because they believe their commitment will be recognised and their careers will be enhanced not undermined”.