Why my school will stay open during the strike

Class action: teachers are among public sector workers on strike over pensions?Photo: EDDIE MULHOLLAND

Striking teachers will today subject children and parents across Britain to serious inconvenience. I think they’re wrong to do so. For the past 10 years, I have been head teacher at Woodberry Down primary school in Hackney, and I am executive head of four schools in total. Woodberry Down will stay open today. The other three schools in the group will not, because of union action. That is a shame. Striking should be the last resort for teachers, and we should think carefully before returning to the days of downing tools at the slightest pretext.

This strike demonstrates a lack of realism among teaching unions. Someone has to pay for public sector pensions – we’re all living longer, the economy is stagnating, and teachers ought to understand these facts.

I worry, too, about the example being set to children. I remember the teachers’ strikes in the Eighties. It was fun to be out of school for a day, but we had no respect for those who went on strike. We felt that the proper teachers were the ones who were still there, teaching. We were annoyed, actually. I remember that distinctly. I recall thinking: if it’s that easy to remove yourself, by going on strike, do they actually need all the people in the building? I wouldn’t want to make myself disposable in that way.

Other aspects of the strike disturb me. I’ve heard some staff saying they’re not marching, but are going out “for a jolly” today. I hope that’s not the case. We get 13 weeks off a year and, while lots of us work long hours, taking a free day to go Christmas shopping is an insult to parents. What happens if a mother, forced to take a day off work, bumps into a teacher out lunching today? What message does that send?

The unions have their own agendas. For example, I appeared on breakfast television with Christine Blower, the leader of the NUT, and she criticised synthetic phonics, a proven system for improving literacy. It was only afterwards that she said she had never seen synthetic phonics being taught in a school. Here was the head of the country’s largest teaching union passing judgment on something she had not seen. This suggested that the ideology was more important than the reality. You have to use the teaching methods that work. Synthetic phonics is one, but Christine Blower hadn’t bothered to see how it worked.

It’s the same with Sats. They’re not perfect, but if you don’t have tests, you cannot tell which schools need help. And yet, when I sat in on Lord Bew’s review of Key Stage 2 tests, I heard union after union demanding an end to Sats without offering any credible alternative. They seemed prepared to jeopardise the educational wellbeing of children – since external assessment such as Sats is essential if you are to have a system of accountability that lifts standards in schools.

This is the paradox about the unions: on the one hand, they’re very Left-wing and want money poured into deprived areas, but, on the other, they reject the measures that do some good for children in poor communities. Sadly, some unionised teachers have lost sight of why they came into teaching. Trying to improve failing schools, I have faced obstruction from militant teachers who have become so bound up in ideology that they have forgotten the children. Very often, the unions won’t tolerate anything that threatens their beloved “work-life balance”.

What makes the schools I run successful is that we have teachers who realise that, especially with pupils who start from a low base, you need to go the extra mile. That’s where vocation comes in. The drive and energy that you need to inspire children will never fit into the NUT’s rigid work-life policy. To make education work you need dynamism, not people who sigh, shrug their shoulders and moan.

Compare teaching with the medical profession and you’ll see that there’s a different ethic there. There’s an ethos of service. We have lost that in teaching, and that is a shame. Either what we do matters, or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t matter, and the children can genuinely afford not to be at school for two or three days a year, then why don’t we just increase the holidays?

It all comes down to this: a school exists for one thing, to educate children. Whatever fight you have with the system, engage in the fight in a way that doesn’t undermine you and let down the pupils.

Today’s strike is a symptom of a culture in parts of the educational establishment that is quick to complain and slow to find solutions. I can understand why people are concerned about pensions. Clearly what issues there are need to be resolved. But I think a lot of that concern has been whipped up by unions determined to criticise whatever the Government does. And these unions are determined to live in a world where reality, including financial reality, does not exist.

I didn’t come into the profession for the money. I trained as a teacher because I wanted to improve people’s lives. This is what we try to do in our federation of schools. I love teaching. In fact, I’m looking forward to going into work today. By coming to school I will have helped to make a positive impact on children’s lives, and on their chances of finding fulfilment and reaching their potential – something I would not be able to do standing on Victoria Embankment waving banners.

Greg Wallace is executive principal at Best Start Federation of schools

Troops to man airports during 'general strike'

His warning came as it emerged at least three million children will be locked out as at least 8,000 schools close on Wednesday because of the strike.

Ministers believe Wednesday’s “day of action” will cost the economy up to ￡500m, cause the cancellation of countless NHS operations and see Whitehall grind to a halt.

It is feared as many as 57,000 NHS patients will be affected by the industrial action, with as many as 20 per cent of health service staff expected to strike.

Local councils believe between 20 and 30 per cent of their staff will not turn up to work, potentially hitting rubbish collections, leisure centres and funeral services.

Tourist attractions will also be affected, with parts of the British Museum set to be closed.

The action has been billed by unions as the biggest walkout since the general strike of 1926.

The biggest single impact will be on millions of working parents who will be forced to take the day off or arrange childcare as teachers, classroom assistants, dinner ladies, caretakers and cleaners join the strike.

Head teachers will join them, taking strike action for the first time in their history.

Some 40 per cent of schools will be shut or partially closed in the 66 local authorities that responded to a Sunday Telegraph survey, with councils predicting that more schools will announce closures tomorrow and Tuesday.

If the figures are replicated across all 152 authorities in England, it will see at least 8,000 schools closed.

With about 6.8 million children in schools in England, it will equate to a minimum of three million children left without education.

Parents groups warned last night of growing anger about the industrial action and said that the goodwill that exists between teachers and families will be destroyed.

This weekend, Nick Gibb, the schools minister, repeated warning to the unions that an improved offer on public sector pensions may be withdrawn if no deal is reached.

Ministers want workers across the public sector to pay more into their pensions, retire later and receive pensions based on their average earnings during their career, rather than their highest salary, to reflect greater longevity among the population.

The reforms, designed to reduce the crippling public pensions bill, will mean teachers who are more than 10 years from retirement will lose on average 20 per cent of their pot and pay higher contributions.

Separately, three trade union leaders overseeing the pensions strike have amassed retirement packages worth more than ￡1 million, according to analysis.

Brendan Barber, 60, the head of the TUC, was found to have the largest trade union pension pot, with a value of ￡1.8 million. Last year he received a salary of ￡98,056.

Paul Kenny and Len McCluskey, the general secretaries of the GMB and Unite, both have pension pots worth around ￡1.5 million, according to the research, which was validated by Hargreaves Lansdown, leading investment experts.

Trade unions do not publish valuations of their bosses pension pots, even though leading companies, government departments and other public bodies all do so.

By analysing the salaries, age and length of service, Hargreaves Lansdown was able to calculate how much it would cost a member of the public to buy an annuity to deliver the same retirement income as the union bosses will receive.

Tom McPhail, head of pensions research at the firm, said that this method was “conservative”. It does not take account of future years’ service or any pay rises between now and their retirement.

“The changes the government are trying to make to public sector pension are proportionate and fair,” said Mr McPhail.

“Everyone needs to get used to the prospect of retiring later, paying more into their pension and receiving less.”

The TUC said it “practises what it preaches” and provides the same defined-benefit pension for all of its staff. GMB said it did not recognise the figures. Unite did not comment.