3rd May 2009
My first time at conference
When I first arrived at conference, I felt a little out of my depth as I didn't have a clue what was going on. It helped that Jane explained what would happen.
The first speech that stood out was Bill Greenshield's, who used the term 'comrades' when describing the relationships we have with fellow NUT members, in particular in reference to young teachers. It was nice that the term was then used throughout the conference.
Discussing the motions with the other delegates was useful in helping to highlight where the Association stood on matters.
Some of the speeches and voting left a lump in my throat – for example the unanimous voting for the boycotting of SATs, when everyone was so passionate about it and about improving education; and, when discussing the motion on pay, the young teacher who stated how much she owed and that she was leaving because she couldn't afford to stay in this country to teach, a situation too close to home.
The anti-academy campaign was thought-provoking as well, although all the motions presented of course had merits when you looked more closely at the implications of them. Looking not just for what was there but what wasn't – such as private schools, faith schools, trust schools – was important in making the decision to support such motions.
During the sessions, I also felt myself wanting to give my opinion, especially when it came to the LGBT support. I believe that faith schools can perpetuate ignorance. I put in my card to speak but the motion was not dealt with due to time constrictions.
On reflection, it was a good feeling to be involved in decisions and to act upon influencing education in the future. I learnt a lot about how the union worked and made its policies. It also raised my enthusiasm to be involved in the work of the union more.
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