Union chief lays into Children's Plan

Speaking at the union's national conference on Monday (28 July), Andrew Broadhurst said some of the proposals in the government's 10-year plan were "downright wrong" and "looked like they were written on the back of a cigarette packet when the education secretary had a spare minute".

He singled out the culture offer for young people and the move to make teaching a masters profession as being particularly "ill-thought-out".

The plan to provide children and young people with an "arbitrary" five hours of cultural activity every week would put extra stress on teachers, said Broadhurst. He also claimed teachers could be forced to deliver these activities outside of school hours.

Proposals to make teaching a masters profession could create a two-tier profession, warned Broadhurst. "I can't see how having a masters is going to make one jot of difference to young people," he said.

But a DCSF spokesman said: "Ensuring that every teacher gains the new masters in teaching and learning will raise the status of teachers and ensure that they get the recognition they deserve."

On concerns over delivering the cultural offer, the spokesman added that this would "build on what is already available in most good schools and will ensure every child can develop their creative skills."

Broadhurst also raised concerns about the government's drive to co-locate children's services at schools and claimed that education was "downgraded", when schools were combined with other services. He said: "You can piddle around with structural changes until the cows come home but unless any educational establishment has quality staff it will not succeed."

Philip Parkin, general secretary of the union, will echo the chairman's concerns in his address to the conference today (Wednesday).

Delegates at the conference today will discuss which issues to campaign on this year.

Suggestions include a call to scrap the Early Years Foundation Stage requirement to have at least one qualified teacher in every nursery school.

- www.cypnow.co.uk/doc.