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Camden New Journal - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 21 June 2007

Foreign teacher row set before the Queen

A ROW over the government’s decision to clamp down on overseas teachers in England has been drawn to the attention of the Queen.
Last week the New Journal exclusively revealed the plight of Commonwealth teachers who have been told they must go home if they don’t have British qualifications – on top of their own – by August.
In a sudden get tough policy, the Department for Education and Skills has decided to enforce a law that until now has been so casually treated that some teachers have been in classrooms for more than a decade.
John Grimshaw, a teacher at Chalcot School in Harmood Street, Chalk Farm, feels the new law is discriminatory towards Commonwealth countries. While he is English and unaffected by the rules, he wrote to the Queen to protest at their unfair treatment.
His letter said: “While I have no objection to any qualified teacher from the EU coming to work in England I see no reason why Commonwealth teachers should be effectively discriminated against.”
He added: “Madam, while I have no idea whether you can help on this matter in any way, I wonder if the opportunity does arise whether you could at least talk to someone appropriate to express my concerns.”
Some schools are preparing to defy the new regulations by keeping on and hiring ‘illegal’ staff, according to teachers.
Gail, who did not want to give her full name in case she is punished by the DfES, did not need a degree when she qualified in 1969. She has decided to take a chance and work illegally rather than spend two years retraining. She feels the government has turned its back on teachers it once invited here, now that they want to employ EU teachers.
The New Journal has also learned of a Camden Town primary school planning to hide four of its ‘illegal’ teachers from government inspectors.
Teachers are planning to march to the DfES building in the next two weeks, and Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson has pledged to speak to ministers including John Reid, the Home Secretary.
There will be a meeting, organised by Camden National Union of Teachers, at Hamilton House in Mabledon Place on Tuesday June 26 at 5pm.

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It is better to employ a polish teacher than one from australia
Mykel Pawlski