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
Comments
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Three more teachers sacked! Justice for the Halesowen Four!
13.01.2013 00:04
Each dismissal letter featured the same reason! Lecturers were dismissed for the failure of their students to reach their potential although:
1) It was agreed that lesson observations showed them to be good teachers.
2) There was no cause for a dismissal based upon gross misconduct.
This means that four cases now stand out as precedents for dismissal on the grounds of student results alone with no attention to their individual observation grades and without any act of gross misconduct. This leaves every member of staff vulnerable: even a good teacher with a clean disciplinary record could be dismissed if their results dipped.
The broad message sent by these sackings are clear: staff are 100% responsible for student outcomes, even if managerial incompetence or mistakes were to cause the failure of students. Criticism of management or the way the department is handled is not part of a supportive process- it is a sign of belligerence and a refusal to cooperate with that “support”.
UCU members in the college are balloting for strike action over these outrageous victimisations and the campaign has called a national lobby of the College on 26 Jan.
See the blog for more details:
Kirstie Paton
e-mail:
kirstiepaton@ntlworld.com
Three more teachers sacked! Justice for the Halesowen Four!
13.01.2013 00:05
Each dismissal letter featured the same reason! Lecturers were dismissed for the failure of their students to reach their potential although:
1) It was agreed that lesson observations showed them to be good teachers.
2) There was no cause for a dismissal based upon gross misconduct.
This means that four cases now stand out as precedents for dismissal on the grounds of student results alone with no attention to their individual observation grades and without any act of gross misconduct. This leaves every member of staff vulnerable: even a good teacher with a clean disciplinary record could be dismissed if their results dipped.
The broad message sent by these sackings are clear: staff are 100% responsible for student outcomes, even if managerial incompetence or mistakes were to cause the failure of students. Criticism of management or the way the department is handled is not part of a supportive process- it is a sign of belligerence and a refusal to cooperate with that “support”.
UCU members in the college are balloting for strike action over these outrageous victimisations and the campaign has called a national lobby of the College on 26 Jan.
See the blog for more details:
Kirstie Paton
e-mail:
kirstiepaton@ntlworld.com