Newsletter 47 now up Newsletters | Greener Jobs Alliance

 Newsletter 47 now up Newsletters | Greener Jobs Alliance

lIncludesEditorial: Meet the New Plan - Same as the Old Plan

Events: OUR POWER Report GJA Supporters Meeting. XR Big One Demo Events. Climate Justice Coalition Trade Union Conference. Alliance for Finance meeting. NEU Conference Result.
Transport. TUC report launch - Public transport fit for the climate emergency. Climate Perks. Gigafactories Update. Battery Recycling

GREENER JOBS ALLIANCE AGM 2023 The Climate Crisis is a Class Issue. Making the case for a National Climate Service. Worker-led Transition Project Officers. Carbon Budget Shortfall

Green Bites: Costing the Earth. Building Cathedrals. Stats and graphs of the month.

New on the Blog.Quote of the MonthA prime minister who, in the middle of an accelerating climate crisis, is happy to have the electricity grid upgraded to heat his new swimming pool

 is one who may defend the interests of fellow members of the 1% by any means necessary. The catastrophic carbon footprints of the super-rich ought to be one of the issues of our age. But Sunak seems more interested in sending climate activists to jail

.Andy Beckett (Guardian

) ...now read on.

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In April we'll be joining XR and many other campaigners at 'The Big One' -

 

London Retired Members A message from our friends in the Campaign Against Climate Change  In April we'll be joining XR and many other campaigners at 'The Big One' - a climate action around Parliament and the surrounding area, under the banner 'Unite to Survive'. As the IPCC releases its latest summary report of climate science warning of the final chance to act - a 'survival guide for humanity', unity and solidarity is more important than ever, bringing together different struggles, and fighting back against the politics of division. 

What's happening? Come when you like, leave when you like, and stay for as long as you can. There will be engaging speakers, interactive activities and more across the four days. Some details: Friday 21 – Day 1: things will kick off with the People’s Picket, as everyone surrounds the government departments in the area, flooding Westminster in a wave of flags and banners. Saturday 22 – Earth Day: it will include a huge march for nature, biodiversity and the planet. This will be a colourful, creative and extremely family-friendly day. Sunday 23 – The London Marathon will pass by Parliament Square, providing an opportunity to engage with the crowds of spectators. This will be a great day for outreach, and internal communication and deliberation. Monday 24 – Parliament returns. This will be an important and powerful moment to interact once more with parliament and decision-makers, and deliver the people’s demands.

 

CALL FOR OFSTED TO BE REPLACED AND LET TEACHERS TEACH.

 

The National Education Union

Teachers work under the shadow cast by Ofsted. An unfair and unreliable inspectorate.

As Ofsted approaches its 30-year anniversary, now is the right time to examine what effect its inspections have on the quality of education that teachers and leaders are able to provide and, in particular, for our most disadvantaged pupils.

ADD YOUR NAME AND CALL FOR OFSTED TO BE REPLACED AND LET TEACHERS TEACH.

Sign here...

In 2017, the National Audit Office concluded that: “Ofsted does not know whether its school inspections are having the intended impact: to raise the standards of education and improve the quality of children’s and young people’s lives.”

Ofsted has never published any research to prove that its inspections accurately reflect the quality of education schools provide. Comprehensive, independent analysis of Ofsted judgements show they discriminate against schools in deprived areas – awarding ‘outstanding’ grades to four times more secondary schools with better off pupils than schools with students who are worse off. A major research study showed that, even when schools in deprived areas are making excellent value-added progress, they are still more likely to be given poor Ofsted judgements.

Teachers and leaders know that working in disadvantaged areas is likely to be harmful to their careers because of the unfairness of Ofsted judgements. It is harder to recruit and retain teachers in these schools. Poor children, who most need qualified and experienced teachers if they are to fulfil their potential, are least likely to get them.

School inspection must be fair. It should be supportive. It should not be, as too many Ofsted inspections are, punitive.

The stress and unsustainable workload generated by Ofsted is a major factor in the appalling teacher retention rates that blight English education. Nearly 40 per cent of teachers leave the profession within ten years. No education system can improve while it haemorrhages school leaders and teachers.

We must create a new approach to school and college evaluation which is supportive, effective and fair.

We are calling on the Government to:

• Replace Ofsted with a school accountability system which is supportive, effective and fair;
• Work with teachers, leaders and other stakeholders to establish a commission to learn how school accountability is done in other high performing education nations;
• Develop an accountability system which commands the trust and confidence of education staff as well as parents and voters.

Green Left sends support to Green party of England and Wales’ Education Spokesperson,

 Green Left sends support to Green party of England and Wales’ Education Spokesperson, Vix Lowthian, who was criticised by the Daily Mail for sending a solidarity message to striking National Education Union (NEU) members from Greece. The implication was that Vix Lowthian  was on holiday, whereas she was leading a school educational trip, a job which actually involves working longer hours than a regular teacher’s day.

The Daily Mail has an unenviable reputation for right wing smears which it has yet again demonstrated in this inaccurate attack. As ecosocialists and supporters of trade unions we condemn this attempt at scapegoating a Green trades unionist and all other unjustified media coverage of trades unionists and strikers who are defending all workers against governments economic and political mismanagement.

see:  https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11864209/Its-Greek-Teacher-sends-solidarity-message-striking-colleagues-sunny-GREECE.html

 

GREENER JOBS ALLIANCE AGM 14 MARCH 2023