ATL

125 years of ATL

As ATL celebrates its 125th birthday, Report looks back to the early years of the association and its evolution into a modern-day education union

On 15 January 1884, around 180 assistant mistresses met in Westminster and set up the Association of Assistant Mistresses in Secondary Schools (AAM). The chair at the inaugural meeting was Millicent Garrett Fawcett, wife of postmaster general Henry Fawcett and a person of great eminence in her own right as a leader in the women's movement and especially the campaign for the higher education of girls.

By the end of 1884 the membership had grown to 442. The annual subscription was fixed at 2s 6d. At the end of the first financial year (1 November 1884) the total subscription income was £53. 15s. 0d. Expenditure was only £27. 6s. 7d. A promising beginning for an association that has always done a lot of work for a modest subscription rate.

The aims of AAM were set out in the preliminary circular inviting interested women to attend. They were:

• the discussion of educational questions

• the improvement in the position of those engaged in teaching with regard to salaries, hours of work, etc

• the affording of an opportunity to assistant mistresses of meeting together.

It was salaries that caused the new association its first crisis. Much had to be done to improve salaries if the profession was ever to become sound, academically or economically, but several members resigned in 1887 deeming it unseemly to talk about money.

On the men's side, the Assistant Masters' Association (AMA), which was established in 1891, is mentioned in AAM records when inviting AAM members to "hear a most interesting and suggestive paper on secondary teachers as civil servants".

From 1917 onwards AAM acted in cooperation with AMA, the Association of Headmistresses and the Headmasters' Association through the Joint Committee of the Four Secondary Associations, more commonly known as the 'Joint Four'.

In 1921 AAM also appointed its first organising secretary, Mrs Una Gordon Wilson, who served until 1942. Her appointment was regarded as giving AAM a new lease of life. Reports written soon after describe it as a new beginning, when AAM became a more expansive professional body.

Mrs Gordon Wilson's period of office saw greatly increased demands on teachers and bitter struggle and disappointment on the salaries front. By 1925 teachers' salaries were 12 per cent lower than in 1921. In 1931 there was a further "temporary reduction" of 10 per cent. Throughout this period "a woman was four fifths of a man", though the teachers' panel pressed for equal pay for equal work.

The association grew from a membership of 5,204 in 1921 to 9,159 in 1940; by 1960 it was 16,090 and by 1978 it was 38,000. It is now in excess of 160,000. In 1971 AAM altered its official title by dropping the words "in secondary schools" so that it could begin to recruit teachers across the whole school age group.
Just six years before its centenary, in 1978, AAM and AMA amalgamated to form the Assistant Masters' and Mistresses' Association (AMMA).

In 1993, to reflect the increasingly broad membership of the union, the name was changed again to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). Today, with membership including support staff, leaders and students from early years upwards, there are some who suggest the name should be changed yet again, but for now it is simply ATL - the education union.

The title is different, the membership is different, but the aims remain in essence the same as the ones adopted by the pioneering 180 assistant mistresses.

Adapted from a history of ATL written by Joyce Baird, general secretary from 1978 to 1990.

ATL members discuss their memories of the association and of education over the years

"My research led me to AMMA and I decided it was just right. There was the possibility of necessary industrial action but the education of the pupils was a priority alongside the conditions of employment of the teaching staff."

This was Jane Bennett's reason for joining AMMA, and she eventually became president of its current incarnation, ATL, in 2005.

Another former president, Judith Rowley (2003-04), was attracted by the "conscience clause, which allowed one to opt out of industrial action if it was against one's conscience" and also the "almost suffragette nature of [the association's] founding".

Stuart Herdson, president 2006-07, cites the union's sensible, non-militant approach as a major benefit. "The very first union meeting I went to was a joint meeting to discuss pay and if we would take industrial action. We then got a 20 per cent pay rise through the Houghton award. That was partly down to our stance - reasonableness."

Influencing politicians is a key part of ATL's remit. Cynthia Watmore, president 1987-88, remembers meeting with Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher in 1972: "a very understanding lady; not aggressive in any way."

Union meetings were the catalyst for many active members. Peter Brabbing, ATL member since 1958, recalls: "Moaning and groaning to Austin May, my union rep: 'teachers aren't paid what they're worth. I could get more working in industry, and what is the union doing about it?'

"He said to me: 'We're always interested in people's views - why don't you come along to the next meeting?' I went along and came out as secretary of the Derbyshire branch, and I was in it for many years doing various roles."

"Some times were grim." Ann Gray OBE remembers "visiting Liverpool teachers who had received no pay," in her activities with the union. "Some, shocked, in Thameside had received redundancy letters through their doors at midnight."

Ann was the last president of AMA in 1978, and remembers signing the document to form AMMA, having "planned strategy, decided policies and slowly reconciled principles, even office practices" with the gentlemen of AMA, while consuming midnight cups of tea.

She and Arthur Morgan, the last president of AMA, became, in order of age, the first two presidents of AMMA. "We cooperated with mutual respect, which has become affectionate life-long friendship," Ann says.

"She's a woman of some distinction," Arthur returns the compliment, recollecting the early days of the new association: "We had to find our way and we did really well, I think."

Now retired, Arthur also has fond memories of his teaching days when he felt that staff and pupils "were all in it together".

"Education was a lovely job when I started teaching," states Brian Waggett, president in 2004-05. "Lively children and never a dull moment. Like the time a pupil stole a car and parked it in the staff car park. You could tell which one it was. It was clean, and without rust. As I reach my anecdotage I have realised what fun I had. Hard work? Yes! Stimulating? Definitely! Rewarding? Absolutely!"

Stuart Herdson believes there is less enjoyment these days. "A lot of youngsters are tired and bored with education. Being a teacher is the same as being an entertainer - you've got to make the subject thrilling and people want to come to the lesson because they enjoy it."

Alan Garnet, an active ATL member for 51 years, recalls a different accountability system in schools: "There wasn't the same sort of panic before inspections you get now. Inspectors were much more friendly and just gave you a word of advice.

"There's lots more interference from central government these days," he continues. "At one time the curriculum was geared to where you lived and holidays too were geared around local events, farming and industry."

The advent of the national curriculum added to the changing vocabulary of education, recalls Judith Rowley, who started teaching 'pupils' as an 'assistant teacher', but her pupils became, at various times, 'clients', 'students' and 'stakeholders', the latter term seemingly referring to "children, parents/carers, governors or even society as a whole. Gradually subjects were no longer 'taught' but were 'delivered', rather like babies or sausage rolls".

Continuing on a theme, Peter Brabbing believes comprehensives were misunderstood by the government, which viewed them as: "sausage factories where everyone came out equally educated rather than having equal opportunities for education."

"There's not the same opportunities these days," laments Alan Garnet. "I did regret the passing of grammar schools - I wouldn't have got to where I did without them. They did a hell of a lot to get people on."

"I notice that most of the issues we were concerned about then are still very much to the fore now," believes Heather Ryan, president 1991-92. "Issues such as workload, class size, funding, too much TV, need for family support and parenting classes in secondary schools, as well as the need for a broad and balanced curriculum."

It was during Heather's conference of 1992 that the change of name to ATL was agreed, "in a debate not without some contention", she recounts.

"Masters and mistresses became teachers," says Roger Green, one of the first presidents after the name officially changed in 1994, "and not before time.

"I feel immensely proud of the association and the services it offers its members," Roger continues. "I would also pay tribute to the foresight of its general secretaries and the abilities of the permanent staff."

Major changes since the creation of ATL saw Peter Smith step down after many years as general secretary. Mike Moore, president in 2002-03, recalls the process of recruiting and appointing a new general secretary, with the role eventually being filled by current incumbent Mary Bousted.

The process took the best part of a year and Mike believes: "I am probably the only ATL president ever to work without a general secretary to guide them through the maze of politics and education."

The complexity of education is represented in ATL now through its diversity of membership, encompassing teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders in both the maintained and independent sectors across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"The union's broadened into the education union - recruiting across the spectrum," explains Stuart Herdson. "It's able to present and represent education from nursery through to FE. There are different voices from different areas."

"I noticed at the dinner at Conference this year that there were far more young members getting involved," observes Jane Bennett, "which is good as the profile was very much the more mature members of the workforce."

There is a more balanced membership in age now, particularly in active members with the rise of ATL Future, the group of students and NQs that represent the views of the union's newest members starting out on their careers. Ann Gray sums up the optimism for the future: "ATL, my association, has my very best wishes for the next 100 years."

John Nicholas, a long-time active member, concludes: "For some 45 years I have found wonderful support and friendship in AMA, AMMA and ATL - the more you put in, the more you get out."

Image (c) David Burton