Birmingham Socialist Party members
Socialist Party members were out across North Birmingham and Coventry to support the strike at The Arthur Terry Schools (ATLP), a multi-academy trust. National Education Union (NEU) members are striking across 20 of the 24 academy schools against a proposed 10% cut to staffing, as the trust attempts to address a £3 million deficit, following a £1 million bailout loan from central government.
Echoing the situation with Birmingham City Council, it’s the leadership at the top that has created a crisis, but workers and service users are going to pay the price.
Management admit that no internal financial audit was carried out during the last financial year. The Trust now wants to cut staff numbers – despite finding £1.8 million to pay just four executives!
This situation is just another example of how academisation of local government schools means there is less democratic oversight of school spending via elected school governors. Academy trustees aren’t elected and can’t be held accountable. Trust CEOs can receive inflated salaries, with reports of anything between £250,000 – £500,000, which are taken directly from school funding.
ATLP NEU members will be escalating action. Further strikes are planned in January. Ben, the rep at Osborne Primary School in Erdington, told Socialist Party members they are doing this “to protect the childrens’ education”.
The strikers were determined and public support evident: parents stopped to say hello and there was constant honking of cars.
We call for academies to return to local authorities and all schools to be under genuine democratic control of trade unions, parents, local community representatives, and school students.
