UCAC AT DARPL CONFERENCE

8 June 2023 

 

UCAC representatives attended a seminal conference organised by DARPL (Diversity and Anti-Racism Professional Learning) in Cardiff on 8 June.  It was very encouraging to see so many present at the conference and attendees were offered a full programme of enlightening presentations by notable speakers from Wales and beyond.  All speakers spoke with passion and conviction, many sharing their own personal experiences of racism.  They shared with the audience how these negative experiences had led to their subsequent determination to do their utmost to combat racism.  It was difficult and uncomfortable to listen to accounts of what the speakers and their families had experienced,  but their message was both timely and important and underlined the fundamental fact that we all have a part to play in order to fulfil the Welsh Government’s vision of an anti-racist Wales by 2030. 

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

5-6 May 2023

 

UCAC’s annual conference 2023 was held at the Coldra Court Hotel near Newport on 5-6 May 2023.  The conference provided an opportunity to discuss matters pertaining to education, in formal meetings as well as informally.

The proposals which came to the delegates’ attention were a reflection of the matters which are currently at the forefront of education in Wales - matters relating to working conditions, the Curriculum for Wales, the Welsh Education Bill.  These matters will undoubtedly be a topic of further discussion within the union during the forthcoming months.

Our speakers’ themes this year were the latest digital developments and the Curriculum for Wales.   Meredudd Jones spoke with enthusiasm of the work he has accomplished in the field of Information Technology and how he fostered pupils’ and staff’s confidence in digital matters during the pandemic and subsequently.  Alan Thomas-Williams spoke with the same passion about the Curriculum for Wales and shared his experience of working with a cluster of schools in the process of planning and delivering the Curriculum for Wales.  Following both presentations, delegates were given the opportunity to ask further questions. 

WALES TUC - PROTECT THE RIGHT TO SRIKE RALLY

 03 February 2023

Ioan Rhys Jones, UCAC’s General Secretary was amongst the speakers at the Wales TUC Protect the Right to Strike Rally in Cardiff on 1 February.  The rally was held in Cardiff in response to the steps which are being taken by the Government in Westminster to introduce anti-union legislation which would limit the rights of individuals to strike.  The prospective legislation would mean that employees could be forced to work, despite having voted in favour of striking in a democratic ballot.  Ioan said, “It is important that we protect workers’ freedom and safeguard their right to voice their opinion and to take action to protect their pay and working conditions.  UCAC is proud take a stand in order to protect its members rights.”  

School Teachers' Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document 2022

21 November 2022  

The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document is now available on the Welsh Government’s website.  

Please find below links to a written statement from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language accepting all the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body’s recommendations for 2022/23 and to the revised School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions (Wales) Document 2022.   

https://gov.wales/written-statement-teachers-pay-award-2022 

https://gov.wales/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions-wales-document-2022 

If you are working part-time and in receipt of a TLR, remember that it is important to check with your Headteacher whether you are eligible to receive the TLR in full. 

Changes to NQT statutory induction in Wales

7 November 2022 

Following a public consultation on proposals to change statutory induction arrangements for newly qualified teachers in Wales, changes come into force from 7 November 2022.

 

Changes include:

  • allowing induction to be undertaken in PRUs
  • introducing flexibility: ABs have discretion to reduce the length of the induction period for NQTs who can demonstrate that they meet the standards in less than three terms / 380 sessions
  • introducing a time limit for the satisfactory completion of induction

Revised guidance on all the changes has been published on Hwb.