14.04.2004

Around the web: Comprehensive but evasive

Phil Hamilton marks the website of the National Union of Teachers - www.teachers.org.uk

Another Easter and another boycott of the National Union of Teachers conference by the odious education minister, Charles Clarke. When challenged in parliament, this arrogant ex-Marxist claimed he had “better things to do” this Easter. A likely excuse - I am sure that the rough ride angry conference delegates would have given him had nothing to do with it. But this looks even worse when you consider the Tories’ conference record - they managed to send their ministers to an equally frosty reception every year. That alone sums up everything about the Blairites’ lack of political spine.

Anyone familiar with the website designs common to unions will experience a kind of déjà vu when visiting the NUT’s: it is neatly organised, very corporate looking, and has a few happy, smiling kids to brighten up the proceedings. Actually this is being slightly unfair, as the site is far more colourful than the dreary pages often maintained by similar organisations.

The main field itself is split into three. The central column is for news releases, NUT comment and the like. This is quite interesting as it does provide information of genuine use to teachers. For example, there’s a piece on the latest pay stitch-up that (it is alleged) is being backed by rival unions, the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, and Association of Teachers and Lecturers. Also of interest is the NUT’s own submission to Blair’s ‘Big Conversation’ PR stunt. I would suggest the union is wasting its time, if Clarke’s non-attendance at conference is anything to go by. Overall these items are slightly dated, the most recent being posted up about a week ago. I can only assume that NUT boss Doug McAvoy brought his IT department with him to Harrogate for the conference.

The right-hand column has a few nice features, although the scrolling ‘Latest news’ is pretty pointless, to be truthful. ‘Stop it now’ contains a number of resource pages for the campaign against national curriculum testing (Sats). So expect to find posters, placards, printing advice and other similar nuts and bolts. But what is really missing here are the arguments against the government’s mania for tests (and by extension, statistics and tables). Does this imply the NUT would like its activists to wave campaigning lollipops at pro-testing parents and teachers instead of winning them over?

This feature is followed by a membership form, and a facility for calculating teachers’ pay. Finally there is the NUT shop, where viewers are invited to purchase “from our new range of exciting and stylish merchandising”. What more could a fashion-conscious teacher need? The ultra-trendy NUT rulers, post-it notes and mouse mats are sure to bedazzle classrooms the length and breadth of the country.

The site navigation bar is very comprehensive indeed, with each category having around half a dozen links apiece. ‘Student centre’ is a useful resource for would-be teachers still going through the motions at university and the cannily named NUTshell newsletter for student teachers has a few copies online in pdf format. This seems to be a well designed useful publication that outlines some of the ongoing issues facing the teaching profession, but none are particularly recent. ‘Treasure chest’ is useful too, with a number of thematically organised links to help students out with tricky essays. Also interesting, if rather bizarre, is ‘Jan’s guide to the universe’ - the nearest thing the site has to a links page. So if you fancy a bit of DIY or a game of chess, this is the place.

The ‘Professional unity’ page begins with the question, “Why isn’t there just one teacher’s union?” Sadly those seeking answers will have to look elsewhere, as this piece is deliberately evasive. Its claim that “those who ask the question do not really want to know only of the past” merely ducks the issue. How is the union to proceed if it keeps its members in the dark over past and ongoing disunity? Other features include pension advice; a text edition of the union journal, The Teacher; conference (report-backs from last year, so where is the current pre-conference material?); services (you can acquire a swish NUT platinum card to complete your collection of union memorabilia); and a Noddy’s guide to being a school representative.

The one big omission is that there is next to nothing on the NUT leadership. I often hear union activists complain about faceless bureaucrats, but this is taking it a bit too far.