The figures are clear. The number of teachers leaving the profession is at a 10 year high, 90% of teachers are thinking of leaving the profession and the cureent average length of the primary teachers working week is 60 hours. These are deeply shocking numbers to me. I felt I was fairly up to date with the current situation (spending a lot of time in schools in my role as an Science Outreach provider for the University of Manchester) however whilst I appreciated that the situation was bad these numbers still surprise me. 97% of teachers say that there is a negative impact from their high workload on family and personal life. This is something I can empathise with on a personal level, particularly guilt at ignoring family and friends. Clearly something has to be done.

 The NUT’s Eight Steps I amhappy to advocate as things that the next government should implement, and soon, to combat these problems. I particularly strongly agree with the second and third points on introducing fundamental change to requirements relation to marking planning, data, meetings and observations, and on allowing time for curriculum and SEN reform.

Teaching is a profession I hugely respect, my teachers are the reason that I was able to go on to study at University, obtain a fantastic degree and then carry on into research which I love. I have also always had an active interest in teaching, having taken on mentoring roles whilst at 6th form, completed a 6 week “trial” as a teacher during my degree and now being heavily involved in the provision of our outreach programme at the university. It would be a tragedy if we were to lose dedicated, experienced and hard working teachers because of these issues and we must ensure that it does not happen.

Horizon 2020 is not a lemon! Stop squeezing it!

High Peak Liberal Democrat PPC Stephen Worrall is appalled at the possibility that money promised for research in the EU could be siphoned off for “quick win” projects rather than being focussed on long term research for Europe’s future.

EU Commission President Juncker has announced that money will be diverted from Horizon 2020, the EU’s successful research programme, to an as yet undefined project as part of the European Fund for Strategic Investment.

The League of European Research Universities (LERU) has already come out in strong opposition.

Stephen commented “As a research scientist at the University of Manchester I am in full agreement with LERU’s comments on this. Part of my role at Manchester is in our Outreach team where we take demonstrations, lectures and practical workshops out to schools all over the local area. I tell these children that science is not only a fun, engaging and rewarding career option but that it is also incredibly important to our future. The EU makes the right noises on this issue, with rhetoric about the importance of research for our future, but when push comes to shove they are diverting money away from it yet again.”

Since 2007 the UK has received over £5 billion in research funding from the EU and President Juncker’s proposal to “reallocate” £2 billion will be certain to reduce the amount the UK receives in the future, as the second largest recipient of EU research funding.

Stephen added “Scientific research is of vital importance to all of our futures and it should not be held back by people playing politics, the EU either needs to stop cutting away at research funding or stop claiming that they recognise its importance. Science is not a political football.”