Staff at Khalsa are being balloted for strike action to oppose academisation of their school.. They are fighting to defend their school and the pupils they teach. Please send messages of support via this website. (Scroll down to bottom of this page)
Please see below for a detailed press release. Link to media coverage here
You wouldn’t want teachers to be in charge of a Gurdwara, so why would you want the Gurdwara to be in charge of a school? Teachers & Support Staff Set to Strike at Khalsa Primary School
The Governing Body at Khalsa Primary are planning to academise the school. This would be a disaster for the pupils’ education at Khalsa Primary. Ealing is in the top ten performing local authorities in the whole of England and Wales for educational achievement. Where does the Governing Body expect to find the people with the expertise and experience that will match let alone surpass, that supplied by specialist professionals at Ealing Council?
Teachers and support staff care deeply about their pupil’s education. They fully support the Headteacher and believe under her leadership and with the support of the dedicated group of education professionals at Ealing Council that they can further improve upon the already excellent results and achievements at Khalsa Primary.
Sadly, this success is now in grave danger. There have been various incidences of unprofessional and inappropriate interference by some governors many of whom were appointed by the Gurdwara. The NUT and staff at Khalsa Primary (many of them practising Sikhs), stress that we have the utmost respect for those of Sikh faith and for the values that Sikhism promotes. Sikh Parents send their children to Khalsa Primary knowing they will receive an excellent education and because it is a Sikh faith school. No parent will send their children to a school that deprives their children of the best education possible. We want to put these arguments before the Khalsa Governors. Unfortunately they have been unwilling to negotiate with us.
Staff have been informally told by the Governing Body that the Department for Education insist that Khalsa Primary must be academised if the Gurdwara want their Free Sikh Secondary School bid to be approved. This is not the case, as the bid has already been submitted and is being considered. Staff in existing excellent neighbouring Secondary Schools are worried. There is no need, at the moment, for many additional secondary school places in Southall. An additional Secondary School in Southall will lead to falling rolls in other local schools and could lead to those schools making teachers and support staff, redundant. Pupils’ education in these schools will suffer. Furthermore, this bid could severely affect social cohesion and the good community relations that exist in Southall. A Sikh Secondary school will mean that once these Sikh children are taken out of other schools in Southall, the remaining schools will become predominately Muslim or Hindu. There are already residential areas in Southall that are predominately of one faith or community. This bid by the Gurdwara risks causing divisions within the communities of Southall. Rather we should celebrate our vibrant and wonderfully diverse area and respect each other’s faiths and cultures.
The Gurwara’s proposal forces us into a position where we are, as a last resort, balloting for strike action. All union members wish to avoid this. We hope that the Chair of Governors will agree to meet with us. We would hope to convince him and the President of the Gurdwara that the children at Khalsa Primary are much better off if their school remains part the Ealing ‘family’ of schools. They are prepared to strike to defend the quality of their pupil’s education.
Best wishes to Khalsa Primary staff from Islington NUT for your fight to defend your school from academisation and keep it within the Ealing family of schools.
We look forward to hearing that your ballot result is a positive one and that your proposed strike action has been a success.
In solidarity
Ken Muller
Joint Secretary
Islington NUT
Support and solidarity to NUT and ATL members at Khalsa fighting academisation. Your fight is our fight.
Simon O’Hara
NUT Rep
Small Heath School, Birmingham
To NUT and ATL members at Khalsa Primary, Southall.
Solidarity from NUT at Shrewsbury 6th Form College and Shropshire Division NUT in your fight against academisation.
Your fight is our fight!
Jean Evanson,
Shropshire Division Secretary
Susan Arguile
Solidarity greetings to NUT and ATL members taking action at Khalifa Primary. Academies are a scourge and need to be stopped.
City of Derby NUT.
Support and solidarity to all trade union members balloting for strike action at Khalsa School. Academisation results in worsening education for children and deteriorating conditions of service for teachers. Your school’s resistance will inspire others to fight as well.
Chris Kelly
Sec., Southwark Save Our Services campaign
Every school that is converted to academy status is another step forward for those who wish to do away with teachers national terms and conditions and to make profit out of education. You are fighting not just for yourselves but for every teacher and for the future of education. All the best,
Ben Morris, NUT rep, Little Heath School, Redbridge
Solidarity to Khalsa Primary staff from Sheffield NUT in your fight to defend your school from academisation and keep it within the Ealing family of schools.
We look forward to hearing that your ballot result is a positive one and that your proposed strike action has been a success.
Best wishes,
Simon Murch
Joint Division Secretary
Sheffield NUT
Christopher Denson Solidarity from all members of Coventry NUT. Your fight against academisation is one in which we all stand alongside you.
Quite apart from the deterioration in conditions that comes with academisation, it also paves the way for the fragmentation and privatisation of our schools. The best of luck in your struggle from Coventry NUT.
Jane Bassett Solidarity greeting from Hackney NUT to Khalifa Primary. Jane on behalf of Hackney NUT
Paul Phillips Solidarity from NUT members at Connaught school for girls
Like · Reply · 30 September at 16:27
Jon Reddiford Solidarity from NUT members in North Somerset
Solidarity greetings to all union members at Khalsa Primary School standing together against the academisers from a retired Early Years teacher in Brent. Our children deserve good quality democratically run local schools. Sarah Cox
Remember that you are not alone, your fight and all those like yours are so important. Thank you for being brave and taking this on as every teacher who fights academisation at their school is also part of the fight to save comprehensive education. Solidarity, Rebecca Cann
Solidarity greetings to all at Khalsa Primary School. Your fight is hugely important. A victory for you will give confidence to all teachers fighting save their schools from the privatisers at the DfE.
Solidarity,
Kieran Picken, NUT Assistant Secretary, City of Derby
Support and solidarity to NUT and ATL members at Khalsa fighting academisation. Your fight is our fight.
Warren Chambers
Action Officer
Kent Division
We send you our solidarity greetings from Lambeth NUT on your strike against academisation. Everyday we hear of how academies are taking money out of the school system and are not improving education. The free market approach in education is a scandalous approach as schools compete for pupils. We fully support your strike and hope you succeed as each victory for a group of union members is a victory for all of us.
Solidarity Greetings. What a fantastic ballot result and a great example for us all. No to academisation!
Audrey Glover President Lancaster Morecambe and District NUT
We send you our solidarity greetings from Lambeth NUT on your strike against academisation. Everyday we hear of how academies are taking money out of the school system and are not improving education. The free market approach in education is a scandalous approach as schools compete for pupils. We fully support your strike and hope you succeed as each victory for a group of union members is a victory for all of us.
Paul Power Solidarity from all NUT members in Haringey.
Marion O’Malley Solidarity from George Green’s NUT group Hackney