3rd May 2009

Conference Report, Easter 2009

by Jane Rudon

The City of Leicester NUT sent nine delegates to our Annual Conference 2009 in Cardiff: Anne Blair, Jenny Day, Alicia McElhill, Peter Flack, Glenys Mulvany, Jane Rudon, Lesley Summerland, Sam Tallis and Denise Wightman.

[This year's City of Leicester delegation]

Several delegates were new to conference and found the whole experience very interesting, affirming and exhausting. One delegate said that she was proud to be in the NUT as the conference was so good.

There was a standing ovation when there was a unanimous vote passing a motion to ballot to boycott Key Stage 1 & 2 SATs next year. The union hopes that the government will see sense and abandon SATs, but if it does not, the NUT and the NAHT will make sure they do not take place. The union is very aware, however, that they must not be replaced by something that is worse for teachers, and that teacher assessments must be reasonable.

Another theme that went through conference was the union's opposition to the BNP. Now we have a political fund we are able to state that we are opposed to the BNP and campaign against them in elections. There are concerns that the BNP might succeed in gaining places on the European Parliament on 4th June. Delegates were urged by the Acting General Secretary, Christine Blower, to strenuously campaign against the BNP.

Several delegates were hoping to speak but in the end only two reached the rostrum. Conference enjoyed Pete's interventions and the way he managed to make conference look at issues from a different point of view was masterly.

[Peter Flack] [Glenys Mulvany]

Our President, Glenys, spoke so confidently that no one would have thought it was her maiden speech.

There were any number of interesting fringe meetings to attend. I was moved by the open way delegates contributed to discussion at the teacher mental health meeting, was heartened to hear from the General Secretary of the Palestine Teachers' Union and was full of admiration for colleagues from Cuba & Venezuela (the Cuba Libre slipped down well!) I hadn't been to a women's fringe meeting for some time and the one this year was very well- attended (very tasty canapés.) Women were given a copy of a booklet about women chain makers 'Be anvil or hammer,' co-sponsored by the union. I can lend it to anyone who would be interested.


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