Union delegates have supported a move by Welsh school leaders to protect the vision behind the school curriculum amid fears it is being threatened by ‘a growing tide of division and extremist views far beyond the school gates’. 

NAHT Cymru’s motion, which was today unanimously supported at the TUC Cymru Congress in Llandudno, says: ‘We are seeing a fear creeping into our communities across Wales, a growing tide of division and extremist views; the use of anti-immigrant, racist and xenophobic beliefs and a campaign of misinformation which is creating social division.’ 

It praises the ethos behind the 2022 Curriculum for Wales, including a focus on helping pupils become ‘capable, confident, and compassionate citizens who can thrive in a changing world’. The motion notes that the curriculum aims to enable children to become ambitious, enterprising and creative, as well as ethical, informed and healthy. 

But raising fears these principles were being threatened, and citing potential political instability in Wales, it calls on NAHT to mobilise to protect and defend its members and union values.  

It adds: ‘We call on Congress to commit to ensuring that the new Curriculum for Wales continues to be available to all learners; to ensure the rights of children to a fair and balance education are protected and that legislation around Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), Religion, Vales and Ethics (RVE) and the LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, which includes as an action the development and publication of national trans guidance for schools and local authorities, remains.’ 

Another motion raising concerns about the expansion of executive head teacher roles amid increasing instances of schools joining forces in collaborations and federations was also unanimously supported by delegates. 

It says: ‘We appreciate that in some cases these reforms are of great benefit to learners and the communities they serve. However, we are concerned that these changes are being pursued in some cases to save money and in turn, put our middle leader members in a difficult position’.  

The motion says there was little research on the repercussions for executive heads themselves in taking on schools with ‘significant additional responsibilities across multiple sites with little additional pay’. 

It adds there were ‘currently no mechanisms to pay or support new leadership positions that are created in these federations and collaboration models – such as head of phase or head of school’.  

And it highlights a lack of support to ensure middle leaders, such as deputy and assistant heads, are protected in these new structures and that their opportunities for career progression are not harmed. 

Congress delegates agreed to campaign for national guidance on school collaborations and federations and for changes to be made to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Wales Document to ensure middle leaders are ‘appropriately recognised and renumerated for the roles they take on’. 

NAHT Cymru national secretary, Laura Doel, who was confirmed as TUC Cymru’s new president at the congress meeting, said: “It’s absolutely vital that children’s education is prioritised under the new Plaid Cymru administration. 

“We were delighted that TUC delegates supported our members’ motions around protecting the curriculum and school leadership roles. 

“We hope these motions will now be acted upon by the Welsh Government, alongside provision of the significant additional investment our schools desperately need.”