The Tories introduced the 50% strike ballot threshold to make industrial action harder. MATT WRACK argues that a Labour government has no justification for leaving it on the statute book

General Federation of Trade Unions assistant general secretary HENRY FOWLER reports on the final day from the GFTU’s residential Summer School at the Workers’ Retreat, Quorn Grange Hotel

HENRY FOWLER, assistant general secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), reports on Day 2 from the GFTU’s residential Summer School at the Workers’ Retreat, Quorn Grange Hotel

Assistant general secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions HENRY FOWLER reports on day 1 from the GFTU’s residential Summer School at Quorn Grange Hotel

Thousands of jobs are at risk across higher education, yet government funding appears only when universities can be linked to military objectives, says JO GRADY, in the run-up to the Stop the War International Conference this Saturday

Years of austerity and political failure have left classrooms overcrowded and staff overstretched – now educators are organising across roles to demand change, says ED HARLOW

Austerity is breaking the education system. We must unite to save our schools and pay our teachers properly, says NEU national president ED HARLOW

PHILIP ENGLISH says military spending will not create the jobs young people need — instead, build an economy based around needs, not profit

SHELLEY GALPIN points out that Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure criticised university elitism, and still rings true today

This weekend, the NEU holds a special conference to debate changing its approach to organising teaching assistants, which a 2017 TUC agreement forbids. General secretary DANIEL KEBEDE outlines the choices before delegates

DR GLYN ROBBINS ties fights at universities and sixth-form colleges to the consequences of the market system that began a generation ago with tuition fees

TOM GALLAHUE argues that asking what role Irish diaspora educators can play in shaping Irish unity is to ask a deeper question about democracy itself

Schoolchildren who joined a nationwide anti-Trump walkout learned more outside the classroom than in it but could still be penalised, reports LINDA PENTZ GUNTER

The National Education Union general secretary speaks to Ben Chacko on growing calls to protect children from a toxic online culture

The NEU kept children and teachers safe during the pandemic, yet we are disgracefully slandered by the politicians who have truly failed our children by not funding a proper education recovery programme — here’s what is needed, explains KEVIN COURTNEY

Investing the £75 billion slated for defence spending on a green new deal, healthcare and education would create jobs and help communities far more than weapons spending, argues UCU general secretary JO GRADY

What’s behind the stubborn gender gap in Stem disciplines ask ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT in their column Science and Society

With 170,000 children living in poverty in north-east England and teachers leaving in droves over 20 per cent real-terms pay cuts since 2010, all while private companies siphon off billions, it is time to unite and fight for education, writes MATT WRACK

NICOLA SARAH HAWKINS explains how an under-regulated introduction of AI into education is already exacerbating inequalities

As the regime in Iran continues to face international pressure to reduce its nuclear programme, workers continue to struggle for wages they can live on despite harsh repression of trade unionists, reports JAMSHID AHMADI

Warning from NASUWT general secretary

Government urged to consider further measures

We must take a stand against the government’s spending on war

Educators must fight for an inclusive, creative system that values all children