Education

What is the role of socialists in the student Covid uprising?

January 27, 2021

Greg Briscoe, Brighton Student Socialist Alternative
Nurseries: Open Only if It’s Safe!

January 16, 2021

Steven North, Salford City UNISON branch secretary (personal capacity)
Education workers show trade union action gets results! We need real opposition

January 4, 2021

Socialist Alternative members in the NEU, Unite and UNISON
2021: an opportunity for building the socialist fight against capitalism

December 31, 2020

Sarah Wrack
‘Students Deserve Better Collective’ formed: Steps and strategy for the fightback

December 16, 2020

Student Socialist Alternative
Defend Louise Lewis: Unions rally to demand reinstatement for victimised teacher

Socialist Alternative members in West Yorkshire

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UPCOMING EVENTS

What is the role of socialists in the student Covid uprising?

Student Socialist Alternative hosted an online meeting titled ‘The Fight to Reclaim Education: Socialist Organisers’ Call’ on Friday 22nd January. This brought student rent strikers together with activists from London Renters’ Union, the University and Colleges Union and more. The speakers were very well received, with the other participants speaking from the ‘floor’ echoing many of the same ideas and principles as the organised speakers. An overall feeling of agreement was reached after a healthy discussion and replies by speakers.

A major theme in the meeting was the need for solidarity between students and teaching and support staff, and to join up their struggles to fight for universities that puts education and working conditions first. The logic of capitalism means this will never be put first for as long as this system remains in place, so we must fight against fees and marketisation to make it possible.

Speakers also gave their experiences of organising rent strikes, both in university accommodation and private housing more generally. While legal defence can only take you so far, a combative political struggle can win real victories. The best defence is an offence against the university bosses and the government that protects their privileges.

The section of contributions from the floor included a discussion on whether it is important to link the rent strike campaign to socialist issues. It is certainly true that anticapitalist ideas are gaining massively among young people, which will be accelerated by the pandemic, but some may be hesitant to connect the campaign with the need for socialist change to avoid being seen as ‘too narrow’ and ‘political’.

Ultimately though, socialists can win support for our ideas through fighting alongside the widest group of people in the rent strikes. Through organising for real gains and concessions, even under this system, allows us to make clear that it is capitalism that is the root cause of attacks on students and workers’ conditions and safety. Only a socialist society with an economy planned along democratic lines can provide lasting solutions to the problems facing us.

Likewise, the point was made that the movement can and should carry on beyond the issue of students being crammed into unsafe accommodation and having to pay unfair rent for accommodation many are not using, and the pandemic more generally. One speaker raised the point that to really connect the strikes to the need to fully take education into our hands, we must be prepared to step up our struggle to win not just rent rebates, reductions and ‘no detriment’ policies, but many more radical and winnable demands, such as:
- A ban on student evictions, even after the pandemic.
- Good quality student grants.
- Full recognition of renters unions, so students can continue to hold the landlords to account through regular dialogue and talks.
- Mental health support for all students who need it. Link up with NHS campaigners to fight privatisation.
- Guaranteed tech support, with free provision of laptops for those who need it. Scrap printer charges in university libraries.
- Take our curriculum, housing and university services under our control by forming democratic oversight bodies run by students themselves, to make sure these policies are fully carried out.
The failings of capitalism are being exposed to people through the process of struggle. Winning concessions and victories builds the confidence that not only things should change but also that when we fight, we are able to win that change. In this way, the current student rent strike could lead to a generalised fight for safe and affordable housing, to reclaim our education and ultimately a society organised along truly democratic, i.e. socialist lines

Also raised was the idea of challenging notions of education as a product that is consumed, as opposed to a public good that benefits society as a whole. This mentality is consciously pushed by the system of tuition fees. Many students understandably feel like they want to ‘get their money’s worth’, which is pushing thousands to positively get involved with their local rent strikes. But socialists must also be upfront that this will never happen under a marketised education system, rather than one that is publicly funded and democratically controlled by both students and staff.

Finally, the need for a democratically organised movement with a unified national structure was raised. Coordinated action is more effective than disorganised action and formal structures are needed to make sure negotiators and the movement’s leadership are accountable and decisions can be made in a democratic way. The NUS are in a great position to build such national structures. Already, the ‘Students Deserve Better Collective’ has been formed by them, which exists to federate rent strike organisations with the support of NUS President Larissa Kennedy.

This is undoubtedly a step forward and must be strengthened by both forming a clear and consistent leadership that can not only keep drawing local campaigns together, but also take the lead in organising coordinated days of protest action, coordinated student drives to actively support university staff on strike action when necessary, and plan out occupations on university campuses across the country, putting demands on managers to meet our demands immediately. Action committees should be elected in every rent strike group across the country to put this into effect!

Student Socialist Alternative stands in solidarity with all those taking action in the ongoing student revolt. Join us today to build a Marxist voice in our movements!

WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE EVENT HERE.
Nurseries: Open Only if It’s Safe!

During 2018 and early 2019, UNISON members working in Salford City Council’s five Sure Start nurseries fought a tremendous battle, alongside parents, carers and the wider Salford community, to save the nurseries from closure. Their dedication to protecting not only their own jobs, but vital services for children and families in one of the most deprived cities in the UK convinced local politicians like Labour Mayor Paul Dennett and Salford MPs Rebecca Long-Bailey and Barbara Keeley to stand up to Government and demand more funding. The campaign was successful and the nurseries were retained.

Throughout the pandemic, those same workers have ensured those nurseries have remained open to support vulnerable children, the children of key workers and, at times, other children when transmission rates have fallen.

Over the Christmas period the workers could see the number of cases increasing and they supported UNISON’s call for the government to close all educational and childcare settings, except for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. Yet, they were left extremely angry when, under pressure from the unions, Johnson bowed to such a demand in schools, but not in early years.

Following workplace consultations undertaken by our five reps (one in each nursery) Salford City UNISON immediately mobilised support for the Council to take the decision to restrict openings in line with schools. We were met with resistance from some within the council. Initially, their argument was that the government line was correct – the nurseries were safe. This wouldn’t wash! So they changed approach and said that to take such a step could see children leaving and not coming back, thus potentially threatening the nurseries’ future. Our members understood this risk but they know the strength of feeling that exists to fight again for the nurseries if it ever becomes necessary. They knew their demand was not just for them, but for the safety of children and families.

The union held a full meeting of members on Thursday 7^th January and over 30 said that if the Council did not switch to a policy of ‘key worker and vulnerable children only’ by the following week, they would hand in section 44 letters en masse and refuse to continue to attend unsafe workplaces. Representatives met with the council the following day and on the back on this stance, secured an agreement that the nurseries would restrict opening and giving parents a reasonable period of notice and time to ensure that families who still needed provision would receive it.

A joint statement was agreed by UNISON and the Council, which not only explained the decision, but also called upon the Government to take the same approach for all early years’ settings. Other UNISON branches and unions have contacted us asking advice on how we achieved this step and we’re happy to give advice and solidarity wherever we can.

Early years support is vital and we will always fight for it, but the workers who have made it their calling deserve safety, as do the families of the children they support. We can’t wait to fully re-open our nurseries, but in the meantime we will continue to support members to take similar action in other settings and continue to do what we can to force this cruel government to put the welfare of the people first.
Education workers show trade union action gets results! We need real opposition

Boris Johnson’s announcement that schools will close until February half term is yet another U-turn from this shambolic Tory government – one which has been forced by the huge pressure from below by education workers

The Tories’ plan to reopen schools was met with fierce opposition from scientists, politicians from all parties, and most importantly from the trade unions. After almost a year of criminal mismanagement of the pandemic by Johnson, along with a worrying new strain of coronavirus which is seemingly spreading very quickly, many people have completely lost trust in this incompetent government. A joint statement from six unions representing education workers called for an immediate move to remote learning and schools to be closed except for vulnerable and key worker children.

Drastic action was necessary as the COVID-19 pandemic is clearly reaching a very serious situation. Schools are undeniably playing a key role in the spread of the virus; the ONS reported on December 24th that “Secondary school-age children continue to have the highest percentage testing positive.” Even the Government’s SAGE advisors concluded that the “evidence is consistent with increased transmission occurring amongst school children when schools are open, particularly in children of secondary school age, multiple data sources show a reduction in transmission in children following schools closing for half term, and transmission rates increasing again following the post-half term return to school.”

When the Tories insisted on schools opening in any case, without the necessary safety precautions being put in place, education workers voiced their anger, and pushed their unions to take decisive action for safety at school and to fight the spread of the virus. An unprecedented 400,000 people attended, watched and engaged with the National Education Union’s online meeting earlier this week.

The NEU, along with UNISON, issued guidance to all members in schools that they should not go into the workplace for at least the first two weeks of term (apart from providing care and education to vulnerable children and the children of key workers), and provided a model letter for members to send to their Heads explaining this. This is legally protected under section 44 of the employment rights act, which enshrines the right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions. This was clearly engaged with by many union members as shown by the huge meeting and the number of schools where these letters were sent. It was this show of strength which forced the hand of the government, and many local authorities and head teachers, to accept that schools should remain closed.

This was despite the disgraceful stance of the NASUWT and GMB union leaderships, who produced guidance that was tantamount to scabbing by saying that using Section 44 to refuse to attend an unsafe workplace is a “breach of contract”. Many members of these unions ignored their leadership, with some leaving in protest and joining the NEU or UNISON.

Since January 1st over 16,000 education workers have joined the NEU, attending massive meetings throughout the UK and sharing experiences about the actions they have taken at their school. Public meetings with parents, healthcare workers, education workers and left-wing Labour MPs were also organised and attended by thousands of people. When trade union leaderships offer a path of action, members engage and take action themselves – and show that this government can be defeated!

Workers’ and parents control needed for safety

However, it is not enough to just close schools. Firstly, many working class families will be panicking about how they will deal with potentially weeks of having their children at home. Any parent who isn’t able to work because they need to provide childcare should receive 100% of their wages. More than this, there needs to be resources made available for families who are struggling with the extra costs of children learning from home – free school meals vouchers, laptops, the cost of internet, paper and ink, the extra costs in energy bills and so on.

This worry is not just because of school closures, though. The cost of childcare is astronomical and many families cannot afford it. There should be the immediate introduction of free, universal childcare to solve this problem. Local authorities should act immediately to introduce this.

Johnson has said that exams “won’t go forward as normal” but all exams must be cancelled immediately. It is not feasible that students, or teachers, will be ready for exams, particularly those due to take place in January! There shouldn’t be a choice between being safe and getting qualifications. But this also raises a question around the type of education system that we have: schools should not be exam factories!

During the time that schools are closed, the necessary safety measures should be put in place – otherwise when schools reopen none of the problems would have been solved. Proper social distancing needs to be possible, including if necessary ‘overflow’ schools to keep class sizes small. The use of bubbles needs to be kept, even if lateral flow tests are rolled out. PPE needs to be provided and clinically vulnerable members of staff need to be able to work from home. When schools do reopen, there could be a phased return. These types of ‘red lines’ should be developed democratically by workers, unions and parents in order to ensure that schools are reopened safely. We have no trust in the Tory government – it should be workers and parents who decide when it is safe!

Support staff in schools also need to be included in these discussions, plans and decisions. The safety of all workers is paramount – even those who cannot ‘work from home’. Also, all education workers should be part of the initial roll-out of the vaccine, along with other front-line workers.

Following these closures, there will still be a fight on our hands. We need a strategy to fight this Tory government, and that has to include a ballot for industrial action over dangerous working conditions. It should also include an independent trade union inquiry into the role of schools in the spread of coronavirus, and the government’s mishandling of the pandemic in general, to expose how their mistakes have led to the suffering of millions.

The revolt by education workers will serve as a beacon of hope to workers in other sectors who are facing uncertainty or unsafe working conditions. The fight has not been won yet, but this U-turn by the government after the trade union movement lifted its little finger should serve as a lesson to the movement as a whole: if you fight, you can win!

It was the rank and file of the National Education Union, followed by UNISON, who in their hundreds of thousands made their voices heard and forced the leadership to take a stand. This is also an important lesson for members of other unions – it is you who have the power. There is generally a feeling of demoralisation felt by many, starting the year going into another lockdown and with a new strain of coronavirus, but this provides a good example of the sort of fightback that is necessary.

Socialist Alternative members working in education have written the following programme for safety in schools:
- Keep schools closed until it’s safe for staff, children and families. Vulnerable and key worker children to be given provision when required.
- All parents who cannot work due to childcare should receive 100% pay. Resources should be made available to cover extra costs. Children on free school meals should be given food parcels
- Cases should be consistently and decisively falling before a full re-opening.
- Democratic workers’, parents and community control over safety measures in schools and plans for reopening.
- Class sizes reduced to a maximum of 15 – use emergency schools in community centres and empty office buildings to enable social distancing. Rotas to be introduced to ensure smaller class sizes.
- Effective remote learning introduced with no compulsion on parents – all children to be given laptops and internet access. Staff to be trained in delivering remote learning.
- Cancel all exams, replacing them with coursework and moderated teacher assessment.
- Vaccinate education workers. Nationalise the big pharmaceutical companies and run them under democratic workers’ control and management to allow a massive expansion of vaccination provision to ensure all staff are offered the vaccine as an essential step towards safety.
- Regular effective testing for children and staff, provided by healthcare professionals.
- Unite education workers across unions to take industrial action against unsafe conditions.
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Education

What is the role of socialists in the student Covid uprising?

Nurseries: Open Only if It’s Safe!

Education workers show trade union action gets results! We need real opposition

2021: an opportunity for building the socialist fight against capitalism

‘Students Deserve Better Collective’ formed: Steps and strategy for the fightback

Defend Louise Lewis: Unions rally to demand reinstatement for victimised teacher

GET INVOLVED!

UPCOMING EVENTS

What is the role of socialists in the student Covid uprising?

Nurseries: Open Only if It’s Safe!

Education workers show trade union action gets results! We need real opposition