ATL

Government plans to manage teachers are unfair, unjust and unworkable - ATL

Responding to the government's plans to give schools more power to manage teachers, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

"The government's proposals to merge the regulations for managing teachers' performance and objectives with those dealing with under performing teachers are unfair, unjust and unworkable.

"The proposals turn performance management on its head. Instead of helping teachers become even better at teaching it will give heads an easy way to get rid of teachers that they dislike.

"We do not believe that the capability procedures to deal with under performing teachers are too complex. The real problem is that the measures are often badly managed by schools.

"We question why the government has not yet discussed any changes with the teaching unions to ensure any new measures take account of the experience of both teachers and school heads to make sure they are workable."

Notes to editors

1. 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.

2. ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first rate research, advice, information and legal advice.

3. 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.