The sheer number present on the day, estimated at half a million, points to organisational acumen and bodes well for developing the movement, says DIANE ABBOTT
The government white paper and NEU conference: A look at a month in education
Teacher Robert Poole reflects on the government’s education white paper and the key events from the NEU 2022 conference
THE big educational news since my last column has been the exciting release of the government’s education white paper.
The paper opens with a foreword from the Secretary of State for Education Nadhim Zahawi. The foreword is accompanied by a photo of Zahawi in which he stares at the camera with a half smirk giving off clear Demon Headmaster vibes.
As is the way of politicians, they have to include a story to help us relate to them and prove that they too have experience of being a child. For Zahawi it is to tell us about how he was a disruptive child who knew “what it is like to feel that a bright future is a long way away.” Yes, life was hard for poor Nadhim at his £21,000-a-year private school in Wimbledon.
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The NEU’s annual conference promises heated debate, with motions on international politics, curriculum reform and union amalgamation likely to provoke strong reactions and challenge the status quo, writes Education for Tomorrow editor ROBERT POOLE



