The National Education Union has claimed a “resounding improvement” in workload and conditions for teachers from Jamaica and other countries at a leading academy chain, as part of a deal ending threats of strike action.
The Harris Federation of schools confirmed it will improve conditions for qualified teachers from Jamaica and others trained overseas, as part of a deal that eases the route for overseas-trained teachers to gain similar qualifications in England.
“All teachers and support staff at the 18 Harris academies who stood up for their rights should feel proud of the stance they were prepared to take for fair pay, conditions and the unjust treatment of overseas-trained teacher colleagues,” said Daniel Kebede, the NEU’s general secretary.
“Addressing the exploitation of overseas-trained teachers by Harris Federation is a victory. This was Harris Federation’s Windrush. This is a record they should be ashamed of, and it is right that it is finally being addressed.”
The deal includes specified amounts of planning, preparation and assessment time for the teachers, who will also be able to choose if they wish to pursue qualified teacher status (QTS) in England, a key factor in the dispute. Previously, staff who wanted to seek QTS needed agreement from their school’s leaders.
A spokesperson for Harris disputed the NEU’s claims over pay, saying that the federation had already raised the teachers’ pay to national levels since September, pre-dating the union’s action.
“The NEU’s leadership have tried and failed to create division between colleagues in our academies, despite ploughing time and resources into their campaign,” the spokesperson said.
“It is both ridiculous and disappointing that Daniel Kebede is still trying to create conflict by inappropriately invoking the Windrush scandal without any factual basis for such a claim. It belittles what happened to the Windrush victims.
“Nevertheless, the most important point is that our ambitious and deserving students will not now have to suffer closures and disruption – which is especially pertinent just a day before the NEU opens its indicative ballot on national strike action over pay.”
Harris and other multi-academy trusts and schools in England have frequently recruited teachers from overseas in an effort to fill vacancies, with Jamaica a popular target because of the quality of the country’s teacher training.
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One of the overseas-trained teachers involved in the campaign, speaking anonymously, said the result made her feel more appreciated as part of England’s education community.
“I’m really pleased about the concessions that have been made by the Harris Federation regarding overseas trained teachers. They are integral for our successful integration as teachers into the schools we join,” she said.
“These changes ensure that we feel valued as an addition to the British workforce and respected not only as teachers but as individuals.”
The NEU held the strike ballot of its 700 members at the schools, citing “excessive and unhealthy levels of workload”. But after talks at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, NEU members voted to suspend the strike ballot.