Author Archives: Stefan Simms

Meeting Wed 6pm

Agenda

 

* Support & Advice – Back In School

* Nominations For National Executive & Officer Elections

* Conference Amendments

There are important NEU elections that will shape the direction the NEU takes in the future. They are mostly being fiercely contested, which is good for our internal democracy. Below are proposed candidates and positions. If anyone wishes top propose alternative candidates please do get contact me, before the meeting.

In addition there are also proposed amendments to conference motions. Again if anyone wants to propose alternatives please do contact me before the meeting.

Zoom Details:

Meeting ID: 882 1719 2251

Passcode: 306944

Zoom Link

Ealing proposes to nominate the following candidates.

1. Vik Chechi-Ribeiro – Equality National Executive Seat: Black Member.
2. Colleen Johnson  – Equality National Executive Seat: Disability Member
3. Kacey de Groot – Equality National Executive Seat: LGBT+ Member
4. Duncan Blackie – Post 16 National Executive Seat
5. Trish Fay – Support staff National Executive Seat
6. Gawain Little – Deputy General Secretary

Ealing Proposes The Following Amendments on:

Motion 66 Support Staff
Motion 49 Autonomy For Districts
Motion 2 Stop Toxic Testing
Motion 25 Send Funding & Mental Health
Motion 44  Pride In Our Union
Motion 52 Debate & Discussion In the Union

Conference Motions 2021 Motions Booklet 2021.PRIORITISED_0 2021 Proposed Amendments

Ealing Proposed Amendments 2021 2021 Proposed Amendments

NEU Left Meeting Mon 1st Mar 7pm

Organising To Win

West London Regional NEU Left Meeting

Key Note Speakers:

Jenny Copper – Brent Secretary

Mat Milovanovic – Ealing School Rep

 

Are You Interested In Being A Part Of The NEU Left?

NEU Left is a new grouping of socialists and those who consider themselves as part of the left who are also NEU members. In the run up to its official launch on March 13th many regional meetings have been organised all over the Wales and England, this is ours.

The NEU Left aims to build up our school union groups in order to defend and support members working conditions, promote progressive pedagogy and bring wider politics into the NEU.

Concretely we will be looking at how we can strengthen school union groups during this pandemic and Boris Johnson’s ‘big bang’ opening.

It was agreed at an Ealing GM to advertise this meeting to all members

Zoom Link

Meeting ID: 864 6918 3932 Passcode: 968067

Emergency Mtg Fri 5:30pm

Virendra Sharma MP Says Phased Return.
SAGE Says Phased Return.
HTs Say Phased Return.
Governors say Phased Return.

 

We Say Campaign!

 

We are please to welcome Virendra Sharma MP For Ealing Southall to this emergency union meeting.

Click here for Zoom link Friday 26th Feb 5:30 pm Zoom details: Meeting ID: 852 0442 3784 Passcode: 350354 This meeting is for all members.

Official SAGE released modelling studies by teams at Imperial College London and Warwick University with various scenarios for easing restrictions.

One scenario from the researchers at Imperial analyses a similar path to the one Johnson announced. It estimated that a further 150,000-280,000 people would be hospitalised and 32,200-54,800 people would die between February and June 2022.

Joint NEU general secretary Kevin Courtney said that when a phased return to schools took place last June, the infection rate was 1 in 1,000. In September it was 1 in 1,400. Yet on current trends, by 8 March the rate “is likely to be 1 person in every 300”.

Coronavirus is now spreading fastest among primary age children and young people, according to research published last week. This is despite the fact that primary schools are only open to vulnerable children and those with key worker parents.

We desperately Want Our Schools Open But It Must be Safe And Sustainable

The situation has indeed change from last June and this January notably; the success of the vaccination program and that we (both parents and staff) all need to get back to normality, the workload and stress and has often been immense and overwhelming.

I am confident we would have all sighed deeply if the Government had followed Wales, Scotland and N Ireland and phased in the return of our pupils as recommended by SAGE. But this big bang re-opening risks another lockdown, more deaths and more hospitalisations. It must be opposed. Schools need to open safely AND stay open.

Agenda:

1. How should we respond to March 8th?

2. NEU Annual Conference Delegates. Proposal to send; Mandy Hudson EWHS, Mat Milovanovic Twyford High, Jenny Davis Springhallow, Carol Millard Horsenden, Lena Patel Ravenor, Casey Wilson Ark Acton, Rouna Ali FHS, Carolyn Busingye BHS, Claudia Aviles Willow Tree, Dee Higgins EAP & Stefan Simms GHS

Resources

  1. Model Letter for Headteacher NEU_phased_return March 8th
  2. STEP BY STEP GUIDE FOR REPS S44

Make Schools Safe In Tier 4 – Emergency NEU Zoom Meeting – Wed 30th Dec 5pm

👉This meeting has been called by NEU districts across London, so far these include: Redbridge, Harrow, Brent, Hounslow, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Islington, Southwark, Haringey, Lewisham, Barking & Dagenham, Croydon, Ealing, Greenwich, Reading, Wokingham, West Berks and Hackney.

👉The purpose is to discuss concretely how we can build on the ground to ensure the NEU demands on safe reopening next term are met.

Zoom Link and details.

London & Tier 4 Emergency NEU Zoom Wed 30th Dec 5pm

Meeting ID: 969 9459 9656
Passcode: 771390
.

You may well have seen the news stating that official government scientific advisors are urging all schools to stay closed due to the spread of the new deadly Covid strain that is causing; a huge increase in infections, a critical shortage of hospital beds and the death rate rising.

The NEU has called for a two week delay in opening schools accept for key workers and vulnerable students. Over 50 Ealing school reps met on the 23rd Dec and agreed to support this meeting and to conduct a survey of Ealing NEU members about the safe re-opening of Ealing schools. This meeting has been called to agree a united course of action that will make are schools safe before we return.

We urge you to join this emergency NEU meeting.

Local Democracy

The NEU and its predecessors have a very long and proud democratic tradition, many of our democratic processes are inspired by the Chartist Movement.

All local officers are required to stand for re-election on an annual basis. The positions are for District and/or Branch;

  • Vice – President (Junior and Senior)
  • Secretary
  • Deputy Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • 3 Equality Officers Black, LGBT+ and Disabled
  • Health & Safety
  • International
  • Young Teacher
  • Retired

There are also 12 Ealing Committee (officers without portfolio)

In addition there are delegate places for Annual Conference and all three Equality Conferences, plus Ealing Trade Council delegates. Finally there are delegate places for Ealing Education Joint Committee (where we regularly meet with Ealing senior education officers and Ealing Councillors).

Please do enquire or email either myself or London Regional NEU. There are rules and support for any member, who is interested in standing for any of the local officers positions listed above, to ensure a fair and equal election process.

School Reps also stand for re-election on an annual basis. If you are interested in this position then please do contact me. It does not have to be a single person. There are some schools with co-reps; you could stand with someone else on a ‘slate’.

The deadline is the end of this term Dec 18th. Those in post wishing to continue in their post will be “elected unopposed”, if no-one else comes forward by this deadline. If members do come forward for various posts then an election timetable will be produced which will start next term. Our AGM will also be next term and it will be a virtual one. It is at the AGM where the election process will be ratified.