School leaders must not be stopped from avoiding “danger” or challenging “unsafe environments” under proposed strike rules, a union has warned.
And members will have “no choice but to resort to industrial action” if the government fails to remedy the “neglect and underinvestment” that impact pupil safety and education, the NAHT school leaders’ union said today.
The NAHT has raised its concerns in its response to the government consultation on its proposed minimum service levels (MSLs) plan for schools. Under the plans, certain groups of pupils would have to continue being taught in school during strikes.
The NAHT’s response, published today as the deadline for the consultation closes, comes after the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) hit out at the proposal over legal and workload concerns.
The NEU teaching union, along with the Association of School and College Leaders, has also warned that the rules could worsen the recruitment and retention crisis in schools.
The NAHT today called for the government to retract its consultation and the Strikes Act “as a matter of urgency” and to “enter meaningful negotiations with education unions”.
It argued that it is essential unions “have the right to instruct our members to withdraw their labour if their workplace is unsafe”, referring to Ofsted.
Concerns over Ofsted inspections
Concerns over Ofsted’s inspections have spiralled over the last year after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Earlier this month, Ofsted’s new chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, published the inspectorate’s response to the coroner in Ms Perry’s inquest, who warned that there was a risk of future deaths unless action was taken to change school inspections.
In its response to the MSL consultation, the NAHT said that the inquest had “exposed many of the underlying issues that are causing stress and pressure on schools, thereby threatening the mental health of education professionals”.
“While we are hopeful that the new chief inspector in England is taking positive steps, if this progress is halted or falters, putting our members at risk of working in an unsafe environment, then we need to retain the right to challenge this and withdraw members from danger,” the response added.
MSL rules could have ‘catastrophic consequences’
The government has claimed that the introduction of MSLs “will help safeguard the safety and education of children and minimise disruption to the public”.
But the NAHT said today: “NAHT, in partnership with our sister unions, have been urging the government to redress this neglect and underinvestment in the future of our children and young people. Without such pleas being addressed, we will have no choice but to resort to industrial action.”
The union also criticised the MSL legislation for not providing a “right of appeal” for workers.
And it warned that the imposition of MSLs in education could have “catastrophic consequences for the profession long term”, as well as enabling “hefty bankrupting fines to be placed on unions”.
The government missed its target for recruitment of secondary teacher trainees by 50 per cent this year, according to data published last month.
And the number of state-school teachers leaving the profession hit its highest rate in four years in the academic year 2021-22, with one in 10 (43,997) recorded as having quit the classroom.
A Department for Education spokesperson said that the government was “committed to ensuring that children and young people are not disadvantaged because of any future strike action”.
The spokesperson added: “We encourage everyone to submit their views and will take all responses into consideration before setting out a final response.”
Ofsted has been contacted for comment.
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