Nina Franklin - NUT
1. Teacher Support Network is celebrating its 135th anniversary. Why do you think that the charity is so important to the teaching profession?
I first used the services of TSN which was then called the Teachers Benevolent Fund in 1991, this was following the birth of my second daughter when I needed to return to work. I had childcare set up but a deposit of the first month’s fees was required. Having been on maternity leave I had no income at the time but the TBF came to my rescue and gave me a grant to cover all of the costs.
The second time more recently was following my cancer diagnosis in 2007 when I had gone down on to half pay and my fridge exploded damaging all the electrics in my kitchen. TSN provided vouchers for me to replace both appliances.
I would also say as well though that as a Division Secretary I have referred members on many occasions to TSN, especially to the support line, this has always proved invaluable and I have had a lot of positive feedback.
TSN is also very important to the teaching profession as it provides support for teachers at times of anxiety and stress. It can supplement the work we do as local officers as we do not have the skills or the time available to provide the emotional support which members can get through the TSN Support Line. It is also of great help to be able to refer members for financial support and advice and I think that this will be of increasing value in the coming times when we are facing pay freezes and cuts due to Government policies.
2. Our survey on teacher perception showed that 79 per cent of the teachers that responded to the survey felt that the media did not present a positive image of teachers. How do you think we can improve the status of teachers and the profession as a whole?
I think we have to continue to celebrate the achievements of teachers and their pupils. It seems to me that schools and teachers are often blamed for all the ills of society but nothing is ever said about all the fantastic things that go on in schools. Also the constant reliance on league tables means that often the very important things which are major achievements are not celebrated because they are not measurable.
3. Do you think teachers should be judged by their behaviour in their private life?
I don’t think that teachers should be judged by their behaviour in their private life, however, I would have to acknowledge that there times when members need to be aware that there are certain situations which may occur in their private lives which may overlap into their teaching lives.
4. Last year, the Government announced plans to include behaviour issues in teacher training. Do you think this is a positive move to managing behaviour in schools and what more do you think can be done to help support teachers with this?
Challenging behaviour is very stressful and teachers need to learn not only strategies to deal with behaviour but also to have the confidence needed to challenge poor behaviour themselves. Teacher training can help you to learn strategies and techniques to manage behaviour but to be really effective you need the confidence both in yourself and in the strategies. So it is a positive move but it does need to be backed up by practical measures by teachers being able to witness good behaviour management in schools.
5. In a Teacher Support Network, poll we found that 96 per cent of teachers, school leaders and lecturers said their workload has had a negative effect on their health and wellbeing. How do you think we can better help teachers manage their workload and what steps are NUT now taking to do this?
The NUT already has some excellent guidance on workload and how to manage it, the advice and guidance needs to be negotiated on a collective basis in order for it to be effective. This is becoming increasingly difficult with the break-up of local authorities as we are having to do much more on a school by school basis. The isolation of schools from each means that there are some very difficult management styles which ignore all the advice and guidance and just pile more and more work on members. I think that we need to be working on developing confidence in our school reps to stand up to the workload pressures and to make sure that this is done on a collective rather than an individual basis. I think that the NUT is working towards this with the organising agenda and with the increased training for school reps. The Executive is also looking at a ballot for workload action and we have acknowledged the need to develop more strategies to support members with ever increasing workload.
6. Is there a link, in your experience, between a teachers' wellbeing and pupil attainment?
Yes, I think that there is definitely a link. Teaching is the best job in the world and there is nothing as satisfying as achieving success with pupils and to actively be involved in the learning process. However, this is always difficult to achieve if teachers are feeling ground down by excessive workload and overbearing management. Therefore I would say that teacher wellbeing is vital to improving levels of pupil attainment.
7. What do you feel are the biggest issues facing teachers right now and in the future?
The biggest issues facing teachers right now are the huge attacks on education being forced through by the coalition government. We currently have a pay freeze whilst all around us prices are rising so teachers are facing financial pressures. The future of our pensions is uncertain as the Government proposes to slash and cut them. The breakup of local authorities brought about the privatisation
agenda is a huge threat as it isolates schools from each other. It is also leading to uncertainties about how we can continue to support our members as facilities budgets for trade unions are slashed. The effect of Government policies are also likely to have a much deeper effect on the most vulnerable groups and this will cause added pressures on schools.
8. What were the highlights of your year as President?
The highlights were meeting members up and down the country and getting such a warm reception everywhere I went.