January 2014
Featured in this insight: Central government & non-department public bodies, Education, Local & regional government
Survey reveals only one in ten teachers would vote Conservative: According to a recent YouGov survey of more than 800 teachers – commissioned by the National Union of Teachers – four out of five (79%) believe that the Coalition government has had a negative impact on the country’s education system, while barely one-in-ten (12%) say that they would vote Conservative in a general election. Furthermore, three quarters (74%) of teachers are saying that their morale has been damaged since the last election in 2010.
Of the eighty-five percent of teachers who said they would vote if there was a general election tomorrow, more than two-fifths (43%) said that they would back the labour party.
Education Secretary Michael Gove’s focus on academies and free schools came under particularly strong scrutiny; four fifths (82%) of the teachers surveyed took the view that the programme is not “taking education in the right direction” – just 6 per cent backed Mr Gove.
NUT general secretary Christine Blower said the results make it “abundantly clear” that classroom teachers and school leaders oppose government policy. Unless there is a breakthrough in talks with Mr Gove regarding pay, pensions and working conditions they have pledged to hold a one-day strike by February 13th.
Ms Blower continued to say:
“The NUT cannot recall a time over its 144-year history when government policy has been so roundly condemned by the teaching profession… With a general election round the corner, David Cameron and Nick Clegg need to completely change tack if they are to attract the support of teachers…”
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