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ATL on Conservative proposal for public sector workers to run services
15 February 2010
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:
"This curious proposal to allow primary school staff (and would this apply to secondary school and college staff too?) to form co-operatives misunderstands the principles of the co-operative movement as well as the views of education professionals.
"Education staff want more autonomy over the professional issues of what and how to teach, and how to assess pupil progress. But they recognise they are part of local networks of schools and colleges which require planned co-ordination if they are to provide the best opportunities for all young people.
"The majority of education staff are suspicious about policies which encourage fragmentation of education provision and schools and colleges to be run as businesses, and think there have been too many already."
Notes to editors
The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, tertiary and further education colleges in the United Kingdom.
ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first rate research, advice, information and legal advice.
ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.