A UCU Left Hosted Webinar
View here
Chair: Bee Hughes, LJMU Branch Committee.
Panel:
Daniel Kebede, NEU Senior Vice president Elect
Matt O’Leary, Professor of Education
Sean Vernell, NEC
Marian Mayer, UCU National Negotiator.
Jordan Osserman, Update on the #CoronaContract
Sarah Elton, Durham UCU
Monday 7.30pm 20 April
When we return from the Easter break the issues of homeworking and grading of students will become central questions for all who who work in post-16 education.
Exams have been cancelled. Teachers will be asked to rank all their students from top to bottom. Rather than award grades based on what students have learnt, they will be asked to predict ‘how they would have done if they sat an exam.’ Many have of us have questioned a logic that puts exam performance above students’ real abilities. Why were we not consulted? What are the implications for our students? Isn’t this policy discriminatory, unfair and divisive? If exams can be cancelled, is now the time to move beyond the exam factory and introduce less competitive forms of education?
Many employers have recognised the fact that during the lockdown they are completely dependent on staff goodwill rather than contractual obligation for our efforts to support students from home. UCU members are demonstrating that they are the guardians of education. They are doing everything they can to continue to teach our students.
However, some employers are trying to impose ‘business as usual’ regimes without any regard for mental or physical health or equality. Some see this crisis as a golden opportunity to implement a new model of online learning. How we can we collectively resist attempts to monitor and manage us in our own homes? Is the demand to keep classes going during the crisis just adding to stress and anxiety for students and staff?
You may find these articles and comments useful prior to joining the webinar:
This is part of a series of webinar’s hosted by UCU Left during the Corona crisis.
To view past webinar recordings click here:
Fighting for Education in the Time of Coronavirus
Academic Gig Economy: Defending Casualised Workers Under The Lockdown
Visit www.uculeft.org for updates, articles, to join us and for news of forthcoming events.