tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278366793340877738.post3531706579204295521..comments2023-11-02T10:43:15.185+00:00Comments on DENVERSTROPE: Getting Education RightUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278366793340877738.post-13927608287121078822010-06-04T09:14:24.396+01:002010-06-04T09:14:24.396+01:00And there was me thinking "NLP" stood fo...And there was me thinking "NLP" stood for "neuro-linguistic programming". You learn something new every day.Jon Lishmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07272058035800593800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278366793340877738.post-61908578804723785442010-06-04T06:43:21.955+01:002010-06-04T06:43:21.955+01:00I'm generally sympathetic to the abolition of ...I'm generally sympathetic to the abolition of the GTC. It was intrusive into the private lives of teachers and ineffective and costly. Most teachers hate it.<br /><br />One aspect of the announcement from Michael Gove which concerned me was his ill-informed remarks on the case of Adam Walker. As I represented Mr Walker (a BNP member hauled before the GTC) as his Solidarity Trade Union Representative it was clear to me that Mr Gove had no understanding of the evidence in the case. <br /><br />Mr Gove said:-<br /><br />And when the GTCE was recently asked to rule on a BNP teacher who had posted poisonous filth on an extremist website they concluded that his description of immigrants as animals wasn't racist so he couldn't be struck off".<br /><br />The facts are these:-<br />1. Mr Walker posted to a general forum in his local area not an "extremist website".<br />2. He posted under a pseudonym and made no mention of his workplace.<br />3. His comments concerned some (not all) immigrants and in particular those who abused the hospitality and protection afforded by our country by committing crimes such as rape.<br />4. "Immigrants" is not a racial term as immigrants to our country are comprised of people from all races.<br />5. The GTC as a public body has a duty to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights.<br />6. Any restriction on the right of Mr Walker to freedom of expression would have to be shown to be legitimate, necessary, proportionate and meet a pressing social need.<br />7. Evidence was presented to show that Mr Walker was an excellent teacher, who improved grades and treated his pupils with the utmost respect.<br /><br />The comments from the NUT, Gove and NASUWT seem contradictory in that they support the right of teachers to a private life outside work but want to vet them on the basis of perceived opinion. <br /><br />Pat Harrington<br />Solidarity Trade Union<br />http://www.solidaritytradeunion.orgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com