LAST YEAR the NUT and the rival teachers' union NASUWT united to defeat the Tories national school tests.
This year unfortunately the NASUWT have not only called off their boycott, but in a scandalous speech, NASUWT leader Nigel De Gruchy has egged on the Tories to send in external markers to break the NUT boycott.
This is an absolute disgrace from a TUC afaction. filiated union. Every effort must be made to get rank and file NASUWT members to condemn De Gruchy and to oppose any attempts to use NASUWT members to undermine NUT In the event of external markers being sent in they should be met by NUT pickets and a student and parental boycott of the school for the days the tests are taking place. implement the agreed policies.
The leadership of the NUT will come under increasing pressure from the government and the leaderships of the other teaching unions.
The left needs to mobilise the members to ensure that the executive is forced to maintain the SATs boycott and to pursue vigorously the policies agreed in Scarborough.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 60, April 16 1994, Page 5