It appears The Village School governing body decided by a majority to support academisation to form a Multi Academy Trust at last night's meeting which which was marked by the extraordinary decision to deploy dogs to keep staff and members of the public out of the meeting.
This is the statement from the NEU released late yesterday:
Today, 28th
February NEU members of staff and supporters gathered in Arctic conditions
outside The Village school in Brent to express their opposition to the proposed
academy. Despite the weather the Governors meeting to decide on whether to
convert or not went ahead. Staff were
prevented from going inside as the premises were in ‘lockdown’. This was the
description given by one of the security guards, with dogs at the ready, who
had been brought in by the headteacher, Kay Charles.
Staff governors and Reps struggled to get past the dog handlers into the governors' meeting.
Staff governors and Reps struggled to get past the dog handlers into the governors' meeting.
The NEU
strikers’ response was to sing even louder and a new song was quickly added to
their imaginative repertoire, “Who
brought the dogs in? Kay, Kay, Kay, Kay, Kay, Who paid the bill? We, we, we, we
did”. Brent Councillor Jumbo Chan addressed the protestors praising their
stand and bringing the support of the Brent Council leader Muhmmed Butt, Barry
Gardiner and Dawn Butler, both Brent Labour MPs and the local Labour Party.
The previous
day, NEU staff, both teachers and support staff were on strike yet again to
prevent their school becoming an academy. Joining them on the picket and
supporting demonstration was Kevin Courtney, Joint NEU General Secretary. He brought
solidary from the 450,000 members of NEU.
We heard yesterday
that secondary academy Heads in Brent have sent a letter supporting the
Executive Headteacher Kay Charles in her move to privatise this outstanding
special school. Perhaps they are lining up to join the Multi Academy Trust and
thereby possibly get a position in it where they earn more money?
A letter
before action has been sent to Sandra Kabir, Chair of Governors, disgracefully
defying the Labour line although still the Brent Labour Group Whip. Governors
have voted by a majority for the Multi Academy Trust. Legal action will likely
soon follow.
When the
management of a school calls in dog vans because staff are peacefully
protesting against academisation, you know they have lost the argument.
Democracy and consultation academy style.
9 comments:
Given the above, any suggestions for a name for the new institution?
Mike Hine
Can we please stop repeating the deceit that Butt opposes this academisation. The proposal would die overnight if he withdrew his support in private meetings with Kabir and with Council Officers. He always says whatever he needs to say to survive public meetings, but he absolutely has not opposed this academisation in any genuine sense.
I doubt if regular readers of this blog are taken in.
How about The Baskerville Academy??
Surely having police with dogs is a waste of their time. Complete over-reaction.
Comment received from Anon: In reply to Scott......
I should think the school employed a private security firm with dogs and handlers, not the police who I would hope have more important things to contend with. The head of school isn't setting a very good example of democracy to pupils in this matter. Can you imagine the bad publicity if peaceful protesters were to be bitten by the dogs? This case sounds more like the reaction to 1960s civil rights protests in Alabama than 2018 England. Disgraceful.
In a Tweet, Cllr Chan who was there, said it was a private security company.
I hear that Kabir has not denied that the houses in the new school are to be named Pitbull, Rottweiler, Schnauser and Mutt.
It would be a private company, wouldn't it? And I bet the dogs were ununionised and on zero hours contracts and minimum wage.
Mike Hine
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