Socialist Educational Association

Nominations are now open for elections to the officer posts and to the SEA Executive for 2018-19. We need to fill the following roles:

Chair, Vice Chair, General Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Digital Campaigns Officer, Publications Officer, Women’s Officer, Youth Officer, Equalities Officer.

In addition to the officers, there are 8 places for men and 8 for women on the Executive. As branches with over 35 members, Greater Manchester, Haringey and Wales are entitled to appoint a branch delegate to the NEC.

The Executive meets 6 times a year in different cities across the country usually on a Saturday – though the first meeting of the new executive is on Sunday 24th June which is the day after our Annual Conference.

The deadline for nominations is 30th April 2018. Self nominations are welcome. Please sent all nominations to secretary@socialisteducationalassociation.org.

The Labour Party’s National Policy Forum (NPF) recently issued a draft document on the development of a National Education Service (NES). The SEA would like as many people as possible to get involved in developing a radical alternative to the Tory government’s divisive, underfunded and fragmented policies. You can access the document as a member via the Party website and then upload your comments. The SEA would also like to hear from you at: info@socialisteducationalassociation.org Continue reading →

Members in the Yorkshire and surrounding area may be interested in a public meeting arranged by Jon Trickett MP to discuss the failure of the Wakefield Academies Trust and what it means for the whole academies programme.

The latest data on cuts to schools budgets has been published at https://schoolcuts.org.uk/#!/. This is a fantastic tool for local campaigning and was an important factor in raising the profile of this issue in last year’s General Election. It’ll gives school level data right across the country and gives the lie to government assertions about protecting school budgets.

Elections are just getting under way for a range of posts in Young Labour. The SEA has agreed to support

Lara McNeill, from Hastings and Kings College London, for the Young Labour place on the National Executive. There is more about Lara on her campaign website http://www.larafornec.co.uk and

Leigh Drennan, Councillor in Tameside and current Vice Chair, for Chair of You  Labour

The next national SEA meeting is on Saturday 13^th January in the Priory Rooms, 40 Bull Street, Birmingham, B4 6AF. As usual the business meetings are in the morning and the all members discussion meeting will be from 2.00 to 4.00 pm.

In the afternoon, a key item will be to consider our response to the party’s Democracy Review. The process is outlined at https://labour.org.uk/about/democracy-review-2017/ where there is a link to the full terms of reference. There is the opportunity for individual members to make their own submissions. SEA will be making its own response and will certainly stress the importance of raising the profile of societies such as ours in the party.

We’ll also be continuing our debates around the party’s proposals for a National Education Service and around our own policy agenda.

All SEA members are welcome to both the morning and afternoon meetings.

Labour’s policy making process is now starting up with the first meetings of the 8 Policy Commissions. The last cycle was cut short by the snap election – and who knows, this one might be too. But as things stand it’s an important opportunity to build on the last manifesto and the principles of the National Education Service that were introduced at Conference.

A summary of the policy process can be found at National Policy Forum 2018 and the 10 NES principles are at The NES charter. I would urge all SEA members and supporters to use this opportunity to have their say on how Labour policy should develop.

At the same time, the party’s Democracy Review is starting up. Details can be found at https://labour.org.uk/about/democracy-review-2017/

This will be a major topic at the next national SEA meeting which will be on 13th January at the Priory Rooms 40 Bull Street, Birmingham B4 6AF. The members meeting will start at 2.00 pm.