Islington NEU’s Ken Muller: ‘We are keen to negotiate over this but our members feel they have no choice but to withdraw their labour’

STAFF at a leading sixth form college are striking next week amid concerns over teacher workload.

National Education Union (NEU) members at City and Islington Sixth Form College have raised concerns with the management after being asked to work additional evenings and afternoons interviewing prospec­tive students.

The government’s decision’s to cancel A-level and GCSE exams and instead replace them with “teacher assessments” has also added to the mountain of work.

Schools are required to grade pupils and send samples of work to the exam’s regulator Ofqual for monitoring.

A national backlash ensued after the exams regulator announced they will only check the evidence used in a sample of centres, leading to questions over the impact on teacher workload and the government’s trust in teachers and schools.

The college is said to have over 100 NEU members.

Stephen Grant, NEU representative at the college said: “The danger is that if managers just keep on adding more work, good staff will leave and those who remain will be overworked and demoralised. This action is about protecting the long-term of future of an excellent college.”

The strike is due to begin on May 12 although it is not known how long it will go on.

Union leaders say the staff are still committed to carrying out A-level assessment for pupils. Schools have been told grades should be submitted by June 18.

Ken Muller from Islington NEU said one of the issues includes staff observations at the college, saying: “We have got rights to negotiate over the conditions and terms of our members. We are keen to negotiate over this but our members feel they have no choice but to withdraw their labour.”

Simon Lebus, interim chief regulator at Ofqual, said: “The submissions will avoid the need for exam boards to contact centres after the end of term when teachers should be taking a much-needed rest during the summer holidays.”

A spokesperson for Capital City College Group (CCCG), of which City and Islington College is part, said: We are saddened that some teaching staff at our Sixth Form College have decided to go on strike, we presume they won’t have taken this decision lightly.

“We have consistently repeated that our doors are open and want to talk, but remain resolute that our students will be at the heart of all our decision making. We refute the NEU’s position and appeal to them not to continue down this course and instead engage with us positively so that we can continue to work together. We remain listening, our doors are open and we meet with them regularly.

“The college has taken great strides along its improvement path in the past year – even during what was a very stressful lockdown period for students and our staff. Strike action risks jeopardising the positive collaboration which has been so beneficial for our students, staff and the organisation.  Despite challenges, this good work will continue, and we remain optimistic about what the future holds for CCCG.”