Alan Johnson’s speech – NUT View

27 September 2006

In response to the Education Secretary Alan Johnson’s speech to the Labour party conference Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the Nation Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest teaching union said.

“This is a speech of a Secretary of State who is starting to understand the issues facing education today.

“His commitment to improving the education and lives of young people in care is highly commendable. We also welcome his reinforcement of Gordon Browns pledge to give pupils in state schools the same advantage, and expenditure as those in the private sector.

“We welcome the removal of unnecessary coursework. There are some subjects for which it is totally inappropriate I hope however that coursework is retained for subjects such as the arts, geography and history.

“The Secretary of State needs to talk to teachers and others to ensure that the type of opportunities he clearly wants to give to all are managed in a way that is most effective for both pupils, teachers and the wider community”.