put forward the IMG's proposals for dealing with the crisis. IN DECEMBER 1973 Tory Chancellor Anthony Barber lopped E182 million off the education budget. It was just the latest in a series of cuts that continue to undermine the gains made by the wor king class in the social services as a whole after the Second World War.
Not only has the Labour Government refused to replace the cuts. but it has implemented more. Fur: thermore, vast gaps remain in the field of nursery facilities, the continued existence of selection procedures for socondary education, split-site schools, oversized classes and dilapidated buildings not to mention the anti-working class content of much "educational' material.
The present leadership of the NUT has failed to lead a fight against these attacks. The Labour and THE LAST TEN DAYS have witmessed a savage attack on the National Union of Students grants campaign, with the college authorities in Lancaster, Surrey and Exsex putting the boot in It is not just the rent strikes that are in danger, but the whole grants campaign, since the rent strikes are the only national grant raction going on at present.
The Vibe Chancellor at Suery Lisiver ally told student that unless they paid up. they would face legal action'. To make for the authorities at Sury would Do TOME DEA ONLEHEEL BUILT • FREE:
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Red Weekly: 27 March 1975 Page 12 Blackpool over Easter. At a time of deepening economic crisis, both central and local government are cutting back on education spending. undermining the interests of both workers and children in the education system. How the NUT faces up to this threat is therefore the concern of the whole labour and trade union movement. In the following article, two teacher members of the International Marxist Group - BERNARD REGAN (East Landon delegate) and SUE KENYON (Sheffiold delegatelCommunist Party niembers of the Executive have contented themselves with parliamentary lobbies, ritual denunciations and paper protests to Government and council departments Despite signing jolnt statements with other unions, they have not launchod a national campaign either to defend their own members from the effects of the cutbacks or awaken the rest of the working class to the plight of the education system To maintain its position, the NUT leadership has always relied on its role as a go-between for teachers and the state, and as a body offering "professional advice" to successive governments on legislation and policy. The cutbacks are destroying the basis of this cosy relationship.
universities adopt the same procoduce for dealing with non-puyment of debts it could mean the end of rent strikes as a PORD WEE IS COUT SCHOO against 280 Surroy rent strikers is a national teit case.
At Lancastet, the Vice Chancellon, Charles Carter, took tough action to end the occupation by Lancaster students in protest al the victimisation of rent strikers Over one hundred police pas the occupation a visit at 2.30 a.m. and theow the students out Meanwhile at Exacs, the scene of sint lar police action this time last year, the authorities refused to allow fist year vent strikers to take examinations. Fat lure in these exams stops studenti entering their second year. In other ******** SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
DOMESTIC: @5 per year (2.50p for 6 mondes FOREIGN: 19 per ycar surface mail 02 per year airmail Write to RED WEEKLY (distributior 182 Pentonville Road, London N.1. ENGLAND. tops the conference agenda, and another calling for an end to educa tion cuts is fourth. Both resolutions demand improvement in staffing conditions. However, at the very this, Tuture teaching numbers have been cut from a projected 510,000 to 470,000.
teachers, and a number of other proposals. Anather Executive circular calls for full support for primary ate good, what la totally absent is any pian to fight for then, Further more, the Union Executive rocently recommended acceptance of the Houghton report on teachers' pay. which gave big rises to the adminisladder "professionalism' - the idea that teachers can defend their living standards now by promotion later on-the Executive helps create the wards they were sping pay up or pot organisation which is dominated by the Communist Party and which controls tie NUS Esegutivg has heen predictable virtually not exisical Having fallod to place, they failed to coordimate the 26 anly just gut around to calling a conterence to organise defence. The only problem is that the conference is not until the end of April. But better bate ALI TEEYU that the mask of liberalisen has been tom away by the severity of the oduca tion cutbacks the growing use of the statu in disputes, of large number of police against a saction of socie'y, weak cconomically and made depopular by ile copitalist moment that teachers are demanding Even Lie Executive has produced a memotandum calling for improved woekini conditions guaranteed 'ince time, extis staff to cover for absent the present crisis.
teachers faced with oversized clases.
But whilst many of these demands trator-teachers and virtually nothing to those on the bottom rungs of the By reinforcing the ideology of worst possible situation for fighting Blackpoul.
The reponse of the Hrond Left, an call national rent strike action in the Dest ment strikes that did oceur, and have now These moves by the authorities show However tics attacks have a wider significanco They are part and parcet of such as the troops in Glasgow, the army against the Eldon Square pickets The usu The coming NUS Conference at Lian WEEKLY the cuts. The professionalist ethic, the Idea that "teacher knows best". represents a positive barrier to launching united action with other workers in the educalion systent Elsewhere we report the Ilketihood of teacher redundancies AL the same time 150,000 construction workers are jobless. The NUT Execu tive should be approsching the building workers' union and other unions concerned with education to decide on the resources necessary for the maintenanice and expansion of the cducation system, and to work out a united carpaign at all levels to implement chis plan. This is the only cffective way to deal with MILITANT ACTION That the basis for such a canpaign exists has been shown in the last two years by the militant mass action faken by teachers under the leadership of democraticully elected Action Curunittees. Teachers will he prepared to light if they are given a clear policy and a clear lead.
Militants of the IMG have been at the foretront of struggles over pay both in London and Scotland Unlike 'Rank and File, which sim ply prattles on endlessly about the Executive's sell-outs, the IMG has organised and led united actions Working Women's Charter Meeting at NUT Conference Speakers (in a personal cupacity)
Tina Pamplin (Nottingham NUT)
Kath Young (Hackney NUT and Hackney Trades Council Chale person Val Graham (Hockney NUTI 7,30pm. Monday 31 March. Christ Church Memorial Hall, Queen Street, Teachers from all over London picket Phoenix school agoinst vieti mi sations against the policy of the Exocutive which show a way forward for the wass of teachers.
The resolution calling for support for the Working Women s Charter, which is sixth oh the conlerence agenda, shows the sort of integrated approach necessary to figbt all the attacks being made on the education system. It recognises that the fight tor equal opportunity for women teachers, the bulk of the Union's membership, must go hand in band with the struggle of other women workers, and that the fight arainst Sequality cannot be reduced to the problems bi pay and maternity leuve but is bound up with the availability of nurseries and free contraception and abortion on demand:
The adopcion of the Working Womens' Charter would both cuucale the Union membership about the integrated nature of mil aspects of the oppression of worsen, and prepare theim fot a united cacipaign with other sections of the wotking class movement IMG Teachers' Public Meeting.
Speakers Tim Hail [IMG Political Committeel: Bernard Regan (NUTI.
*The Labour Party and the Social Crisis, Tuesday. 1 April, 7.30 p.m, Blackpool Trades Club, Chadwick Street.
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SHREWS TWO!
The University will take all steps necessary - however difficult and unpleasant - to maintain the rule of law' - Lancaster Vice-Chancellor
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