1. The Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU) represents almost 7,000 members and is based in Northern Ireland. It has members in nursery, primary, secondary (including grammar) and special schools and is the local union that reflects the voice of local teachers.

2. The UTU notes the stated purpose of the Workforce Review but queries why such a Review is required, particularly at this time when other important matters relating to Education are under consideration.

3. The roles and responsibilities of staff are already clearly defined and they have been regularly reviewed and updated using the existing negotiating mechanisms for all grades of staff.

4. The UTU believes that there is already a full understanding of the differing skills and expertise that staff contribute to the life of schools and to pupils’ education. The link with the raising of educational standards is not one that can be easily analysed and the UTU would have reservations about its inclusion in the terms of reference.

5. The UTU believes that the body best placed to consider matters relating to the recruitment and training of teachers, their qualifications, professional development and career structure is the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTC NI). Indeed this body has the statutory responsibility for so doing. It seems unusual, therefore, that such matters should be included in the terms of reference for the Review. UTU notes that Teacher Education has been exempted from the Review so it seems strange that these related matters have been suggested for inclusion.

6. The UTU would suggest that the consideration of issues that impinge on quality, effectiveness and efficiency should have a wide scope, for example to consider teacher health and wellbeing issues and how these might impact on the quality of education.

7. The UTU agrees that the nature of education is constantly changing. Indeed, the Education Service is currently undergoing one of the biggest changes in many years due to the Review of Public Administration. Rather than add to the pressures on schools by reviewing the workforce concurrently the UTU would urge that no further change is considered until all revised administrative structures have had time to properly settle in.

8. The UTU believes that one area that needs to be subject to review is the changing needs of schools as they move towards collaborative working. There will be a need for consideration of how teachers are employed - while teachers are currently being recruited to work in a single school setting more flexibility will be required in future.

9. The UTU, along with the other teacher unions, contributed to the study of the workforce undertaken by consultants recently and welcomes the results of this Review being made available. The UTU would request that not only is this data made available to the Review Group, but that it is made available to all those who contributed to the consultants’ deliberations.

10. The UTU notes the recent criticism of the amount of money spent by various government departments on the use of consultants. The UTU is extremely concerned about the amount of research commissioned by the Department of Education that is not subsequently utilised. The most recent examples falling into this category are the research carried out by PriceWaterhouse on Teacher Health and Wellbeing and the Curran Final Report, Part2, both of which were carried out at considerable expense to the public purse.

11. The issues to be covered within the proposed Workforce Review in relation to teachers are already subject to review within other forums:

(a) Staffing needs, supply and demand; recruitment and retention – all under the remit of GTC NI.
(b) Roles and responsibilities, to optimise use of capacity and skills – each school currently has responsibility for allocation of duties subject to the statutory regulations pertaining to teachers, and the contractual requirements negotiated for other employee groups.
(c) Qualifications, training, profession/career development –GTC NI.
(d) Leadership and management – discussed within the Teachers Negotiating Committee.
(e) Recognition and reward – TNC.
(f) Multi-disciplinary needs – the UTU believes that all such services are best administered under centralised systems under the auspices of a single employing authority.
(g) Redundancy, retirement and re-employment – TNC.
(h) Attendance management and substitution – TNC.
(i) Issues of comparability across staff groups – the UTU believes that this was considered by the Curran committee and is already adequately covered in the recommendations at paragraph 68 of the Curran Final Report, Part 2.

With respect to other staff groups in the Education sector there are parallel structures, such as the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), that deal with some of these issues.


12. The UTU notes the reference made to a separate Review of employer/employee relationships. In the context of teachers this was also referred to in the Curran Report which suggested a new format for the TNC. This is still a viable option with a partnership consisting of three separate entities – DE, ESA and NITC.

13. The UTU notes that it is recommended that the Review Group examine examples of good practice in other jurisdictions. The UTU would suggest that should the review go ahead then it would be essential that good practice in all parts of Great Britain and Ireland are examined.

14. The UTU once again cautions about the imposition of such an exercise at this time when so many other new initiatives are underway since there is already too much pressure on the system. UTU believes that there is no need for such an exercise at this time.

RESPONSE OF THE ULSTER TEACHERS’ UNION TO THE TERMS OF REFERENCE, SCHOOL WORKFORCE REVIEW