JUNE 2011

YOUR LOCAL NASUWT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE– HERE TO HELP YOU.

The use of Facebook is something that many members take great pleasure in sharing with their friends up and down the country. The advance of new technology brings both opportunities and threats for teachers NASUWT members and are forewarned and forearmed so that they can embrace such opportunities safely. Unfortunately there have been a large increase in the volume of cases hadled by NASUWT in defending younger teachers subject to displinary action as a result of usinmg Facebook and other social media.

Recent cases of members include those getting into difficulty due to how they use Facebook and who and what ends up on their Facebook pages. It is not unusual for this to end in dismissal, and in referral on to General Teaching Council.

In addition it is getting common now for schools to search for their teachers (or prospective teachers) on Facebook and in other media social media ‘to find out what they are really like.’. This too has led to disciplinary charges against teachers and could also jeopardize your chances of getting a job.

TEACHERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF PITFALLS EVEN IF ACCESS IS

AUTHORISED

NASUWT ADVICE 1. Check your privacy settings

2. Think who you should add as friends

3. Sort your friends into lists. 4. Safeguard your contact details 5. Facebook Places –Think safety!

Think crime! 6. Avoid appearing in Google and

other search engines 7. Make sure young people cannot

search for you. 8. Think about who sees your

photos. 9. Look after posts that appear on

your wall. 10. Think about who else sees

your friends 11. Be careful with applications in

your profile. 12. Warn your friends about the

information they may put on Facebook about you.

13. Report abuse

Page 2 FACEBOOK : NASUWT

GUIDANCE.

BE AWARE, THINK SAFETY AND DO SAFELY Facebook have a page dedicated to

answering questions around settings, privacy etc and supporting Educators and Parents www. Facebook.com/help/?safety#!/help/? safety=educators www. Facebook.com/help/?safety#!/help/? safety=parents

e-Safety One-day Course - Free to Members

Wednesday 13 July The course looks at a number of important areas in this age of the expansion of social media, including: legal aspects, including sanctions, searches, etc; teacher hate sites; keeping safe; duty of care - child protection; radicalisation. The course is being run by Tim Pinto with some input from NASUWT staff. Tim is e-Safety manager for the Yorkshire & Humber Grid for Learning and is an experienced tutor, conference speaker and all-round expert in this growing and important area of e-safety. It is free to NASUWT members. Ring or email to book your place. 0113 201 4600 oyorksandhumb@mail.nasuwt.org.uk

Did you know? • The NASUWT is the largest

teachers' union in the UK. • The NASUWT provides first-class

legal and professional services through a high quality network of school-based representatives, local and national officers, staff and specialist legal advisors.

• The NASUWT is a campaigning union led by practising teachers.

• The NASUWT also believes that the best way to deal with issues affecting teachers is by members getting involved in union policy.

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School Holiday Dates 2011-2012

Visit your local NASUWT website at www.doncaster-nasuwt.co.uk/

The newly launched Doncaster NASUWT website needs your support. Please contact me Jonathan Wain with any news/ articles / reports features that you feel should be shared with fellow members Please Email to:

jwain@woodhouse.doncaster.sch.uk

Visit the website to:

* Update your personal details (name, address, school, email address or tel.)

* For Local and National Updates and Information.

* FAQ’s

* Interactive zone – post messages and notices.

* Link to the National NASUWT SITE

Members surveyed on pensions 37.000 replies.

4 May NASUWT lodge legal challenge on RPI/CPI change.

9 May NASUWT lodge a formal dispute on pensions with the Treasury.

9 June Meeting with Ministers to discuss TUC agreed joint principles on pensions. A range of issues were covered in the TUC presentation, including the value of public service pensions, the need for full disclosure and transparency of information, contribution rates and maximising participation rates and minimising opt-out schemes.

In response to the TUC presentation, Ministers responded positively to a number of the points that had been raised. It was clear from the exchanges that further discussion of a number of key areas was required, in particular on contribution rates, lack of clarity regarding the cost envelope and normal pension age.

13 June TUC Meeting to discuss progress.

Have you checked your membership details are accurate

thereby preventing any legal challenge to our ballot?

At the well attended General Meeting held at the Earl of Doncaster on Thursday 23rd June John Rimmer our NAS/UWT National President was in attendance and addressed the audience on the hot topic of Pensions. Many aspects of the current negotiations were discussed in detail before questions were taken from the floor.

In addition John presented three long serving awards to Elizabeth Caine 25 years service Elizabeth Wright 25 years service Michale Bates 50 years service Congratulations to all three colleagues.

PENSIONS: STORY SO FAR

Contact : Brian Parkinson Secretary

01427 874 54 or 07825 008505

DONCASTER NASUWT

NEWSLETTER

Summer break NASUWT information to members over the summer reviewing all developments.

30 June Proposed date for industrial action by NUT/ATL, UCU & PCS.

27 June Provisional last date for TUC led negotiations.

NASUWT pensions strategy

unanimously endorsed at Annual

Conference 2011 At the NASUWT Annual Conference 2011, pensions was a key topic for debate.

Almost 1,000 representatives of the NASUWT membership were present at the Conference and they voted unanimously to support the NASUWT strategy of working with the TUC and other public sector unions and exhausting the negotiations with the Coalition Government

For further details on pensions and the NASUWT campaign www.nasuwt.org.uk/ChampioningPublicSectorPensions

23 June High Court sets hearing on 25 October 2011 for NASUWT judicial review on pension claim.

John Rimmer NAS/UWT National President