THE NUT’s Stand Up for Education Campaign has gained significant support from parents and the public and was clearly instrumental in the departure of Michael Gove. 

Now in the lead-up to the May 2015 general election, we’re asking every NUT member to stand for education and teachers and to engage, pressure, strike where necessary and unite.

Our campaign has already shown the impact that teachers can have by meeting and talking with their elected representatives. 

Through dialogue and lobbying, teachers can explain, demonstrate and highlight NUT policies which the government should adopt. 

Members also have the opportunity to talk about the negative impact of social and economic policies on education and the harm caused by some current policies. 

The NUT’s manifesto for the 2015 election summarises the key pledges the NUT believes politicians in England and Wales should make in the general election. 

We want teachers and parents to read it and use it to create political pressure for better education policies and a positive and productive focus on education. 

Children, parents and teachers need an education system that is fair, transparent and, most of all, engaging. This is a far cry from the current government’s approach.

We know we are not alone in thinking this. In the NUT-commissioned YouGov survey of parents this April, half of those surveyed believed that the government’s impact on education has been negative. 

Only 3 per cent totally trusted Michael Gove as education secretary to make decisions about their child’s education with just over half (52 per cent) saying they did not trust him at all. No wonder the Prime Minister eventually had to remove him.

Education policy such as curriculum changes and examination reform are being decided by government and officials with little input from teachers or education experts. 

Rushed changes are stressful for children as well as their teachers. The government should start listening to what teachers and education experts say and work with teachers to develop an exciting and inspiring curriculum that equips children for the modern world.

The school place crisis goes unaddressed. Councils must to be allowed to open new schools where they are needed. Many councils are driven to putting Portakabins on school playgrounds to cope, while free schools open often where they are not wanted or needed. 

Academies and free schools are being run with insufficient accountability measures in place and are allowed to employ unqualified teachers. Parents are appalled by this. 

Financial scandals at free schools show the dangers of a market-driven hands-off approach from government. 

This slapdash approach to the running of schools has already seen the closure of academy chains, with many others being investigated for serious mismanagement.

Decisions such as spending £45 million of taxpayers’ money on setting up one free school sixth form in central London are totally unacceptable at any time, but particularly when other school sixth forms and sixth-form colleges have had their budgets cut by 20 per cent. 

Filling our classrooms with unqualified teachers is simply wrong. Parents agree, as the NUT commissioned YouGov survey shows. 

Some 82 per cent of parents believe publicly funded schools should only employ qualified teachers and 80 per cent would not want their child to attend a school that did not require its teachers to have professional teaching qualifications. 

Teacher morale is at a dangerously low ebb. Changes to pay, pensions and a working week of 60 hours are driving many out of the classroom. 

According to Ofsted, two in five teachers leave the profession within five years of starting teaching. This is unsustainable. 

The Stand Up for Education campaign has seen NUT members and the general public running Saturday street stalls, organising education question times, emailing, writing or meeting with their local MP. 

In June over 150 MPs were lobbied in the House of Commons by NUT members in their constituency. 

The NUT has also taken strike action over our trade dispute with government on pay, pensions and workload.

We know teachers are passionate about education and their pupils. Members’ commitment to this campaign has been exceptional and we will be continuing with it into the new term. 

With a general election around the corner it is essential that our message is heard. All political parties are busy writing, road-testing and releasing policies in the run-up to next year’s general election. 

It is an opportune time to influence the shape of education policy and their election pledges. 

The NUT’s Stand Up For Education campaign will be instrumental in getting the union’s views across to the general public, explaining why we are genuinely concerned about the direction the government is taking education.

We will be engaging with parents and the general public, pressuring politicians and, if significant progress is not made in talks with government on pay, pension and workload, the union is ready to take strike action in co-ordination with others where we can.

Christine Blower is general secretary of the NUT.