by RAY FLEMING
THE rejection by Charles Clarke, Britain's Education Minister, of an invitation to address the annual conference of the National Union of Teachers this weekend, was couched in the rudest possible terms: I have better things to do, he said. Yesterday the conference responded in kind to Mr Clarke's rebuff by voting to hold a ballot on strike action over the government's proposals to introduce teaching assistants to schools. The NUT believes that the proposals are the thin edge of a wedge to use less-qualified assistants in place of teachers and that pupils will suffer in consequence. This is a long-running dispute which the NUT is now fighting alone since the other leading teachers' unions have agreed to the government's plans.
REBUFF RETURNED
11/04/2004 00:00
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