Striking teachers in Swansea have called on the local authority’s education chief to step in over what they say are failures of their school’s governing body. Teachers at Gendros Primary are due to walk out for six days in June after five days of strikes in May saw classrooms shut to pupils in some year groups.
Members of the Nasuwt teaching union are taking action over what they describe as “adverse management practices”. Now the Nasuwt is calling on Swansea council's director of education, Helen Morgan-Rees, to act, saying the dispute which led to the walkout has dragged on for more than two years
Neil Butler, Nasuwt national official for Wales, said governors had failed to act on an independent report into matters which have led to the strike. The school’s governing body is “out of its depth”, he claimed.
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“The governing body has failed in its duty and we are calling on Swansea’s director of education to intervene. The governing body failed in its duty to have governance over the school," said Mr Butler. As the row rumbles on teachers are due to strike again after half term on June 8, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22. Dr Patrick Roach, Nasuwt general secretary, said: “Trust and confidence in the school leadership has completely broken down and this has been exacerbated by the failure of the governing body to address the concerns of staff.”
Asked about the reasons for the dispute and whether the local authority’s education boss would now step in a spokesman for Swansea Council said: “We are in dialogue with the Nasuwt and will respond to them directly. The council will continue to work with the school, governors, and the union to try to resolve this dispute as soon as possible and end this disruption to pupils and their families.”
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