Teachers in the National Education Union, (NEU) at Varndean and BHASVIC sixth Form College in Brighton & Hove will strike for fair pay and funding for three days in November and December.
The NEU represents most staff at the college and has won a resounding 97% vote in favour of strike action by its members who teach in sixth form colleges across England. Teachers at BHASVIC and Varndean Sixth will join colleagues across 32 colleges around the country whose colleges face cuts to their pay and funding in comparison to maintained schools. This follows the anomaly that funding for the teacher pay award of 5.5% has not been given to sixth form colleges. This means that colleges who have seen their funding cut in real terms year after year, will either be unable to fund the same pay rise as other teachers or face unacceptable cuts to their budgets.
Despite efforts, by the NEU, to resolve the dispute through seeking assurances from the Secretary of State for Education that sixth form colleges could utilise the additional funding allocated to the sector in the budget for staff pay, no such clarification has been received.
Teachers and supporters will picket the entrances of both colleges between 7.45 – 9.30 as follows:
- BHASVIC – 205 Dyke Rd, East Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Hove BN3 6EG
- Varndean – Surrenden Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 6WQ
Teachers anticipate strong support from parents and the community as they fight for fair funding for WQE and demand that the Secretary of State treats the college the same as other schools and academised colleges.
Nick Childs, Senior Regional Officer, National Education Union, South East said:-
“No teacher strikes lightly. NEU members at Varndean and BHASVIC are dedicated to their college, their students and the community they serve. The National Education Union has made every effort to resolve this dispute, and we call upon the Secretary of State to rectify this injustice where non-academised sixth form colleges and their teachers are treated unfairly in comparison with colleges in maintained schools and academised colleges.
The new government has rightly recognised that education funding and teacher pay have been eroded for years and that this has led to a crisis in teacher retention, larger class sizes and fewer resources for students. Varndean and BHASVIC are two of 40 sixth form colleges who have been disadvantaged. Our City deserves better. National Education Union members at both colleges are taking strike action to defend their colleges and support their community. They are determined to fight for fair pay and fair funding and will stand firm until their colleges receive the funding they so richly deserves.”
