1Goal

I received the following message by email and would ask you to consider joining the 1 Goal movement:

Dear Peter,

I am writing to you as a fellow 1GOAL supporter, to share my story. My name is Stephen Odai and I am 18 years old from Accra in Ghana. I just finished my basic school and now I play football. Two weeks ago I was signed by one of the big clubs in Ghana, Liberty Professionals.

I have six brothers and sisters and I am the first born, so they are all depending on me. I was not in school because of lack of finance, but one day my headmaster called me and said ‘Stephen if you want to play football you have to further your education.’

It was hard because I didn't have money for the fees. All the money went to buy food for my family.

The only way out for me was to go to the road side and sell items so that I can raise money for my admission fees. I did that for some months and I was able to raise the money for my admission fee, and to support my family.

Without education attached to my football I cannot make it in life. I raise the money, but many of my friends cannot pay the admission fee and do not go to school.

I realise it is not enough to make sure I can go to school. I want to help everyone have the same chance to go to school.

Leaders from all over the world are coming to South Africa the day of the final match to talk about education. I have sent them my message, so if you join me and send your message, I hope they will listen to all of us.

I would like to show you a video that tells my story. And then I ask you to send your own message to world leaders about the importance of education:

http://www.join1goal.org/steven_landing.php

One day I met 1GOAL people in Ghana and I explained everything that I am going through about how I manage to pay my own school fees and my family as well. 1GOAL connect football and education like me, and they asked me to come to South Africa to share my story.

I met the Ghana team and my hero Richard Kingson presented me with a ticket to watch the match against Uruguay in Soccer City. It was amazing and I am not going to forget the experience in my life.

I hope that one day I play at Chelsea and play for my national team the Black Stars as well. I’m training hard and practising hard to get there because there is a saying that the sky is the limit, and I will never give up even though things are difficult.

I hope this dream comes true for all children. So I would like to use this opportunity to urge parents, our leaders and all people to support 1GOAL for the 72 million children who don’t have the chance to go to school.

Sincerely,
Stephen Odai on behalf of 1GOAL

Increased Workload .......& Apologies

Peter apologises that members have had problems getting hold of him recently. This is due to a significant increase in individual casework & meetings with employers. If you cannot get Peter during the day please try him at home after 8pm on weekdays, except Wednesdays, or over the weekend leaving a landline or T-Mobile number for him to return your call.

Peg Probett, NTA Vice-President, pp Peter Smith

Reps' Meeting 09/03/2010, 16h30, Credon - Focus of meeting Workplace Stress & Bullying

Reps are asked to make every effort to attend this meeting. If you are not able to make it, please send another NUT member.

Schools without an NUT rep can send any interested member.

Hope to see you there.

Peter Smith

Finance Working Party 12th January 2010

The next meeting of the Finance Working Party will be on Tuesday 12th January 2010 at the Credon Centre. Don't forget that this working party starts at 15h30 and aims to finish at 16h00.

Regards,
Peter Smith

Next Committee Meeting

May I remind Committee Members that the next Committee Meeting is at the Credon Centre at 16h30 on Tuesday 5th January 2010?

See you there.

Peter Smith

Happy New Year

The NTA wishes all members a very Happy New Year.

Please tell your colleagues about our website to enable them to read the latest news.

Regards,
Peter Smith

Special General Meeting 05.05.09

Although I was unable to attend the meeting, as I was attending another meeting on Transformational Change [at the behest of the NTA officers], I was very pleased to hear that there were 83 members at the SGM and that the amended motion was passed unamimously. Christine Blower addressed the meeting during the course of which she received confirmation that she was now General Secretary.

Regards, Peter

What's bugging you?
We are keen to find out what are the major issues facing our members in order that the Union can support you best in tackling these issues. Please contact us via the website to give your views on the reasons below or others of your own.
WORKLOAD - EXCESSIVE DETAIL REQUIRED IN PLANNING - PAY - STUDENT DEBT POOR WORK/LIFE BALANCE - THREAT OF ACADEMY STATUS - BULLYING DISRUPTIVE PUPILS.
Your input, via the website, is vital to the effective work of the union.

Email Address For NUT School Reps

Reps are invited to inform us of their email address, for our records. You may choose your home or work email address....whichever is the most convenient for you.

We hope to gradually switch to electronic communications rather than filling your pigeonhole with more paper!

Best wishes,
Peter Smith

ACADEMY AND NATIONAL CHALLENGE TRUST STATUS

At the start of term, two Newham secondary schools, The Royal Docks and Eastlea, were presented with the disturbing news that they were facing a change in status as the Authority wanted them to become respectively an academy and a national challenge trust school. Since September the Association has helped organise a public meeting to oppose the academy and represented our concerns to the Authority. Recently, successful indicative ballots were conducted at both schools to demonstrate overwhelming support for discontinuous, sustained strike action to oppose compulsory redundancies and school closures which could arise from privatisation of both schools. Currently, formal ballots are underway at both schools and results will be declared shortly. I will keep you posted as developments occur.

Contact me if you want to know more.... Peter Smith

Peter Out of Office Tuesday 25 November

I will be out of the office until Wednesday 26 November. Please contact me on my return if you have any concerns.