Teachers invest in action: NUT strike reports 4/7/16
Activists from Manchester, Birmingham, and London share their impressions of today’s National Union of Teachers (NUT) strike against academisation and other problems facing teachers and students. NUT rep Chris Evans writes: Around 700 teachers and supporters rallied at Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens during today’s strike against growing workloads, class sizes and academisation. There was a healthy mix of young and […]
Junior doctors strike: 5 reasons Hunt’s contract offer could be rejected
Following talks with the BMA, the government is presenting the recently offered contract as a done deal. But, argues Seb Cooke, it’s a bad one that the junior doctors would be justified in rejecting. If they do, we need to be ready to support them.
John Roan school successfully resists restructuring and redundancies
In this time of privatisation of schools and hospitals and with public service managers on the rampage it may seem odd to find so many teachers, pupils and parents at John Roan School feeling jubilant… but they are. Colin F, with Juliana J and Tony A, describe the latest developments in the campaign. Last September a new head […]
To the BMA: no more concessions, escalate the action
Nurse Mark Boothroyd on why now is the time for escalation, not negotiation.
Junior doctors strike: away from the table, back to the streets
Jeremy Hunt and the Tories were on the ropes. Now is the time to press the advantage, not return to negotiations, writes Seb Cooke.
Bad comedy and bardolatry: on the politics of Shakespeare in the age of mechanical reproduction
It’s 400 years since Shakespeare died, and Kate Bradley doesn’t care.
#KidsStrike3rdMay: Let our kids be kids
Michal Nahman reports from Bristol Kids and parents in Bristol gathered at Baddock’s wood, to have fun and learn outdoors, marking #KidsStrike3rdMay. Many parents across the UK have been appalled by the government’s approach to educating our children, an approach that imagines testing as the ultimate way to prove intelligence. This approach is highly contestable. […]
What we’re seeing is a return of struggle
The election of Malia Bouattia as President of the National Union of Students was a stunning victory for the left. Matt Collins interviews Sai Englert a member of Malia’s campaign team, a NUS national executive member and a long-time stalwart of the student left on the politics of the student movement, and the new opportunities for the […]
Chicago teachers join Manchester’s biggest May Day for years
Tara Stamps and Matt Luskin from the Chicago Teachers’ Union joined Manchester’s biggest International Workers’ Day festival for years. Ian Allinson reports. Manchester TUC had organised a huge festival for May Day this year. Despite hail, rain and sun we marched into the city centre to Sackville Gardens and the Mechanics Institute (the birthplace of […]
French movement escalates to resist new labour law: report from Paris protests
Ian Crosson reports from last weekend’s protests in Paris Imagine thousands of people occupying Trafalgar Square, every night, for days on end, to discuss how to resist austerity and raising radical issues. Imagine this occupation spreads to every town and city in Britain in just a few days. Well , this is what has happened […]
Academisation and the Chicago teachers’ strikes
It is really important and positive that the National Union of Teachers (NUT) conference was so determined to strike against the Tories’ plans to force all schools to become academies and break up national pay and conditions for teachers. It is even better that the NUT aims to coordinate with other unions, including the junior […]
Building resistance – a report from the NUT conference, part 2
Andy S from Wandsworth NUT continues the report from a union conference ready to defend education.
Ready to strike – a report from the NUT conference, part 1
The government’s forced academisation plans have caused outrage. Teachers are preparing to fight back. Andy N from Birmingham NUT reports on the recent conference.
Fight Forced Academies
Education is under attack. Jen Wilkinson on why – and how – we have to fight back.
Kes: a tale for our times. Remembering Barry Hines.
Barry Hines, the author of such books as A Kestrel for a Knave, which became the film Kes, has died aged 76. Colin Revolting offers an appreciation of his seminal work.
Six reasons why academisation of our schools should be opposed
George Osborne has announced that all schools are to become academies. The teachers at John Roan School in London are already campaigning to save their comprehensive school from academisation and here explain why. 1. Academies don’t have to follow the national curriculum – the pressures to achieve in English and Maths GCSEs narrows the educational […]
The First Workers’ Government
145 years ago today a disastrous war among European capitalists produced the first workers’ government in Paris. James B introduces Marx’s analysis on the Commune. Today marks the 145th anniversary of the foundation of the Paris Commune. In 1870 Emperor Napoleon III led France into a disastrous war with Prussia. Paris, defended by the citizens’ militia of […]
Kill the Housing Bill: 13 March National Protest
Emily M explains the implications of the Housing and Planning Bill and reports from a London demonstration against it. Follow Emily on twitter: @millyrosered On Sunday 13th March, thousands of activists met at Lincoln’s Inn Fields to demonstrate their opposition to the Government’s Housing and Planning Bill. The changes to the Housing and Planning Bill will include […]
John Roan Resists: Kick-starting a community campaign
Fighting against the academisation of a London school, by Colin Revolting with Juliana J. Recipe for a community campaign: Ingredients: a small group of parents and teachers passionate about comprehensive education. Mix them together in a pub or similar receptacle. Whisk up ways to spread the word of ‘academisation’ of their school – i.e. word […]
Government tries to overturn teachers’ 86% strike vote
Andrew Stone reports Nicky Morgan has followed through on her threat to mount a legal challenge against Tuesday’s planned strike by NUT 6th form members, on the nonsensical grounds that we can’t oppose funding cuts because they don’t affect our terms and conditions. We won’t know the result of the challenge until Monday afternoon – […]
A review of Steve Silberman’s ‘Neurotribes’
Roderick C reviews Steve Silberman’s Neurotribes: the Legacy of Autism and How to Think Smarter About People Who Think Differently, finding a work rich in historical insight, but unfortunately lacking in political understanding.
Unison and UCU strike together in FE over fair pay
Jessica Redman, a Unison member at a college in London, reports from Wednesday’s FE strike Wednesday 24 February saw Unison and UCU members in Further Education colleges across England strike together over pay for the first time in a decade. The strike was over an ongoing dispute with the Association of Colleges (AoC). The FE Joint […]
“£1 extra an hour for all” – UNISON and UCU national FE Strike
Tomorrow (24 February), for the first time in over a decade, UNISON and UCU in Further Education will be striking together for more pay. Mark, an FE lecturer in London discusses why they are taking action. Why we are striking Lecturers, admin and support staff working in Further Education colleges in England are to take […]
On framing JNU for an imaginary crime
rs21 is pleased to republish Aditya Sarkar‘s article on the vicious attacks of the far right Indian government on students and academics at Jawahalal Nehru University in New Delhi. These attacks have met with growing protests by students and academics. This article was originally published on kafila.org. Some editorial explanations have been added to the original text. […]
‘Becoming a shop steward transformed my political life.’ – IS in the 1970s
May ’68 and the struggles of the late sixties radicalised tens of thousands of students, some became revolutionaries and joined revolutionary groups. Norman MacLean became a member of the International Socialists (IS) and started working in factories, organising and agitating with his fellow workers during the heightened period of class struggle known as the ‘upturn’. […]
The connection between the #JuniorDoctorsStrike and the American corporate takeover of the NHS, part 2
In Part 1, Dr Bob Gill (@DrBobGill) explained the unreported and sinister drive behind the push to change Junior Doctors’ contracts. Part 2 discusses what this means for the future of the NHS, as well as the importance of the current dispute. Reposted with the author’s permission from the Keep Our St Helier Hospital website.
The connection between the #JuniorDoctorsStrike and the American corporate takeover of the NHS, part 1
Dr Bob Gill (@DrBobGill) explains the unreported and sinister drive behind the push for changing junior doctors’ contracts. Reposted with the author’s permission from the Keep Our St Helier Hospital website.
The NHS Choir sings for the #JuniorDoctorsStrike – video report
On 10 February, Junior Doctors again went on strike to protest against the government’s proposals for a new contract. But their action is also part of wider fight to save the NHS against increasing privatization. As shown by the NHS Choir’s Christmas number 1, this struggle which has found broad public backing. Michael Shaw was there to film the […]
#JuniorDoctorsStrike: The government wants to impose this contract on us. Let’s show them who really owns the NHS.
The government has stated that they intend to impose their hated contract on Junior Doctors, Rhian Smith a medical student, looks at the risks and choices ahead. “7 day care” or not, the NHS will rapidly fail without a quick injection of funding and staff. How we respond at this juncture will shape the future […]
#JuniorDoctorsStrike: report on the strike and pictures from the picket lines
As junior doctors across Britain walk out for their second day of strikes, medical student Sophie Walton weighs up where the dispute is currently at. Thanks to rs21 supporters for sending in pictures. Junior doctors are on strike again today as they continue to fight against government plans to impose a new contract on them. Negotiations have moved on […]