21 February 2003
The National Union of Teachers has accused Education Secretary Charles Clarke of 'bully-boy' tactics after he declined an invitation to speak at its annual conference.
Clarke said the education conferences were intended to promote constructive dialogue with the government about the future of education. He accused the NUT of seriously damaging the 'positive image of the teaching profession and teaching'.
Heckling by far-Left activists has become a familiar feature of the NUT's conference, which Clarke claims is not 'constructive'.
He is thought to be punishing the NUT because it is the only union that has not signed up to the 'once-in-a-generation' school workforce reforms launched by the Department for Education and Skills last month.
The NUT is opposed to allowing classroom assistants to take lessons and supervise pupils in the absence of a fully qualified teacher. It claims the reforms could mean children are taught in classes of up to 60.
The plan to cut teachers' hours and give them time in the school day for marking work and preparing lessons is based on giving classroom assistants a far larger role.
But the NUT is worried it could enable the government to staff schools on the cheap during a time of chronic teacher shortages.
NUT general secretary Doug McAvoy said: 'Why do you have to sign up to something that's flawed in order to continue a dialogue? It doesn't make political sense.'
Clarke is also furious that the NUT had given him ten minutes to make a speech, when previous ministers have been given 15 to 20 minutes.
PFfeb2003
