A protest was held this morning at 8:00 outside every entrance to Halesowen College demanding justice for the Halesowen 4. David Muritu, Branch Secretary for Halesowen UCU, was dismissed from his job as Maths lecturer at Halesowen College on December 20th. The College failed to follow their own disciplinary procedure or ACAS guidelines (no evidence was presented 3 days in advance of the hearing), without anything other than deductive reasoning (his sacking was linked to results, with no regard for competency procedure or accurate review of statistical significance (his results are above national average). David has been rated as a grade 2 (good) lecturer by the College's own observation system. Three more Maths Lecturers, all of them active UCU members, face disciplinary procedures and the imminent possibility of dismissal.
It is no coincidence that this action has been taken against these 4 Maths Lecturers all of whom are active trades union activists.
David has been sacked because of a disagreement with the College Principal Keith Bate on educational theory and politics. The maths department have received considerable lack of support in the face of student needs, including:
* Failure by College management to agree specialist cover in staff absence, in-spite of a substantial surplus which could fund this
* Lecturers expected to teach two different classes in two different rooms at the same time
* Students in a functional lesson being encouraged by management to give up the studies their time is allocated for in order to participate in a “focus group” based around leading questions with no rigorous development or consistent recording of data
* Lecturers doing up to 7 cover slots, with no allowances made for planing and assessment
* Non-specialist staff regularly covering Maths sessions
* Failure to provide teaching for students in the vital run up to exams
* Victimisation of a known trades unionist, along with possible victimisation of other known activists in the maths department, setting a precedent for activists to be targeted with knock-on effects for other trades-unionists nationally.
This is an attack on trades unionism and will have disastrous consequences for both students and teachers.
UCU members have voted unanimously to ballot for strike action
Halesowen College Principle Keith Bate can be contacted by email:
kbate@halesowen.ac.uk or Keith Bate, Principal, Halesowen College, Whittingham Road, Halesowen, B63 3NA
There is also a petition
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/halesowen-college-reinstate-david-muritu-as-a-maths-lecturer-at-the-college
David has been sacked because of a disagreement with the College Principal Keith Bate on educational theory and politics. The maths department have received considerable lack of support in the face of student needs, including:
* Failure by College management to agree specialist cover in staff absence, in-spite of a substantial surplus which could fund this
* Lecturers expected to teach two different classes in two different rooms at the same time
* Students in a functional lesson being encouraged by management to give up the studies their time is allocated for in order to participate in a “focus group” based around leading questions with no rigorous development or consistent recording of data
* Lecturers doing up to 7 cover slots, with no allowances made for planing and assessment
* Non-specialist staff regularly covering Maths sessions
* Failure to provide teaching for students in the vital run up to exams
* Victimisation of a known trades unionist, along with possible victimisation of other known activists in the maths department, setting a precedent for activists to be targeted with knock-on effects for other trades-unionists nationally.
This is an attack on trades unionism and will have disastrous consequences for both students and teachers.
UCU members have voted unanimously to ballot for strike action
Halesowen College Principle Keith Bate can be contacted by email:
kbate@halesowen.ac.uk or Keith Bate, Principal, Halesowen College, Whittingham Road, Halesowen, B63 3NA There is also a petition
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/halesowen-college-reinstate-david-muritu-as-a-maths-lecturer-at-the-college
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